Recently, a young cowboy friend of mine went to a branding at the neighbor’s house, where they were throwing a lot of “long loop” shots. The branding went well and finished at an efficient time, but the young man asked me why they were throwing the long shots and didn’t shorten up and just catch? As we talked about the roping, we had to have a bit of a history lesson. Understanding that in the old days our grandparents didn’t have panel traps. They had to brand out of a rodear, where catching calves took a little longer rope and a higher level of stockmanship to not stir up the calves and make them hard to hold. In my younger days, watching Jim Andrae, Tom Marvel, or Woody Harney slip through a rodear of crossbred cows, catch a calf, and head for the branding pot without ever stirring up dust was a work of masterful art. Jim wasn’t a fancy roper, but he knew how to get it done without a set of panels to contain everything.
Make no mistake, I think panels are a great invention. The point that I am trying to articulate is understanding where our custom and culture came from in a time that it was necessary while embracing the technology of the future. Now, just because you have a panel trap to make sure the cattle can’t get away doesn’t mean you should be flying around the branding trap, crashing into everything. The same principles of stockmanship needed to catch calves out of a rodear should be put into roping now, even though
a little smaller loop and a little shorter rope can be used. I feel when you blend the two styles, that is where magic happens! Now, you ask, how does this pertain to laws? This is something that I have been dealing with with a lot lately. Having the foresight to predict where technology was headed 150 years ago was impossible. Laws were made at the time with the best intentions, but as we all know, technology has changed things.
I want to give you a real-world example: the trespass laws. The way things stand now, the responsibility is on the private landowner to properly post his land. Even if a private landowner has gone through the rigorous posting process and has everything done to the letter of the law, a trespasser only has to claim ignorance that he didn’t see the orange markers, and he can most likely get away with breaking the law. I understand why the laws were written the way they were in the past, but the technology has changed. With the invention of the cell phone and the ONX app, every lands user has the resources to know precisely where they are at. In my opinion, if you take into account the new technology, changing the law to put the responsibility of knowing where you are at onto the land user should be a no-brainer. I’m pretty sure that if our founding fathers had this technology, that is how they would have written the law. Our foresight into what the future holds is not very good, but yet we box ourselves into
outdated laws that become really hard to update as our society changes.
Embracing the future, as we understand the past, seems hard for us to do. I don’t know how we achieve this, but I know we have to try. Trying to change laws to keep up with the new technology seems to be a monumental chore.
My hope in writing this is to encourage more young people to become involved. The laws we write today are the ones our grandchildren are going to have to live with tomorrow!
Cheers, Hanes Holman
Hanes Holman President, NCA
by
Martin Paris | NCA Executive Director
NCA Announces 2025 Scholarship Recipients
The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Research and Education Committee is pleased to announce six scholarship recipients this year.
The NCA would like to congratulate Courtney Hummel of Reno, NV and Lauryn Marshall of Eureka, NV for being selected as the 2025 NCA Scholarship recipients; Braden Sorensen from Fallon, NV, and Ian Livingstone from Wells, NV, for being selected as the 2025 Marvel-Andrae Scholarship recipients last; and, last but not least, Billy DeLong of Winnemucca, NV, and Kerstyn Countryman of Washoe Valley, NV, for being selected as the 2025 Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship recipients.
The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association annually awards the NCA scholarship to a first-year college student beginning to pursue an education within the agricultural industry. This award is open to all Nevada high school graduating seniors planning to attend a junior or four-year university and majoring in an agricultural-related field.
The Marvel/Andrae Scholarship is targeted toward students either going into their first year of college or already enrolled in college and working towards a degree in agriculture economics, agriculture business, or the animal/meat science fields. We would also like to recognize Agri Beef for their continued support of the Marvel-Andrae Scholarship program. The NCA greatly appreciates our partnership with Agri Beef and thanks them for their continued support of students pursuing careers in agriculture.
This year marks the second year of awarding the Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors, or students already enrolled in college or a trade school. Again, this scholarship is intended for students who are obtaining a degree to hone their skills for the betterment of agriculture.
All three scholarships are awarded to exceptional students who work hard, excel academically, and work to represent agriculture in a positive way. We thank all the students that applied for these scholarships and are confident that they will all be strong future advocates for Nevada’s ranching and farming communities.
NCA Scholarship Recipients
Courtney Hummel recently graduated from Galena High School in Reno, NV and will be attending the University of Nevada, Reno, where she will be pursuing a degree in Agricultural Science. She was involved in 4-H during her high school career and is a distinguished member of the National Honor Society. She hopes to use her degree to study Nevada’s rangelands and native plants and develop strategies that optimize land use for cattle ranchers in the state. (Courtney is not pictured at right.)
Lauryn Marshall is a recent graduate of Eureka County High School in Eureka, NV and will be attending Utah State University, where she will pursue a degree in Food Science. Lauryn grew up on her family’s farm in Eureka and was involved in the Diamond Mountain FFA throughout her high school career. She intends to learn about food production, engineering, nutrition, and safety with the goal of guiding the food industry on farm-totable distribution.
Marvel-Andrae Scholarship Recipients
Ian Livingstone was a 2024 recipient of the NCA Scholarship and recently completed his first year at Utah State University studying Animal Science (Ruminant Nutrition). Ian will be continuing his education at Feather River College in Quincy, California. He plans to become a nutrition consultant for rangeland cattle after completing his degree, where he hopes to help Nevada ranchers with grazing management plans and increasing yield on their livestock.
Braden Sorensen recently graduated from Churchill County High School in Fallon, NV and will be headed off to BYU- Idaho this fall to pursue a degree in Agribusiness. Braden is the fifth generation on his family’s dairy in Fallon. Upon completing his degree in Agribusiness, Braden hopes to bring his skills back the family farm and become involved in supporting Ag in the Classroom, hosting tours and workshops, and serving on different agricultural boards.
Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship
Billy DeLong recently completed his first year at New Mexico State University where he is studying Animal Science. He is the sixth generation on his family’s cattle ranch outside of Winnemucca, Nevada. Billy has an interest in beef genetics and learning how to improve efficiency and quality. He hopes to bring his learned skills back to the family ranch after earning his degree and possibly get involved as a cattle sales representative.
Kerstyn Countryman is currently attending the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Growing up on her family ranch sparked her passion for caring for animals. Kerstyn has been immersed in research surrounding equine infectious neurological disease and in partnership with her family, has also created a non-profit, “A Cowboy’s Halo,” which will provide financial assistance to aspiring cowboys and cowgirls entering the veterinary medicine field. Kerstyn hopes to continue her education and dive deeper into rural mixed animal practices.
Congratulations again to Courtney, Lauryn, Ian, Braden, Billy, and Kerstyn. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors! We’re very proud of them and are confident that they will continue to serve the industry well. We look forward to all that they will accomplish.
To view past winners and read more about the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Scholarships and how to apply, view our website here: www.nevadacattlemen.org/scholarships
Lauryn MARSHALL
Courtney HUMMEL
stock photo
Trust, Taste & Trends
Courtesy of Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.
PREFERENCES & BUYING BEHAVIORS
Research is a cornerstone of the Beef Checkoff program, helping drive demand and build trust in beef. A successful beef industry is dependent on the decisions consumers make in the grocery store — that’s why it’s imperative that the Beef Checkoff understands consumers’ evolving preferences, perceptions and purchasing behaviors.
Once the Beef Checkoff understands the ever-evolving consumer audience and what drives their decisions, contractors can develop and activate more informed beef marketing efforts and campaigns.
TODAY’S BEEF CONSUMER
Executed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, the annual Checkoff-funded “Today’s Beef Consumer” report tracks consumer mindsets and trends, monitors issues and surveys the general landscape that has the potential to impact the food industry. Here’s a breakdown of the newly released research and findings:
RAISED & GROWN
Research | A majority of consumers (58%) rank beef above other proteins when considering their level of trust in the people who raise the animals. Of the individuals who are concerned about beef production (35%), the top priority is overall animal welfare.1 Seventy percent of consumers consider how their food is raised and grown when choosing a meal with protein. However, only onefourth of consumers are actively changing their shopping behaviors based on sustainability claims.1,2
Activation | Knowing some consumers are concerned and make purchasing decisions based on how an animal is raised, Checkoff-funded Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. develops videos highlighting families, communities and professionals working in the beef industry and their commitment to the land and cattle.
Targeting consumers on YouTube, social media and streaming TV services, these videos are successfully helping build consumer trust in the beef industry.
Before watching the videos, slightly more than 30% of consumers had a positive perception of how cattle are raised for food. These numbers more than doubled to more than 70% after watching the videos showcasing beef’s story and the people behind it.
CONVENIENCE, VERSATILITY & PRICE
Research | Most consumers spend less than 30 minutes preparing dinner on a weekday (60%) and over the weekend (54%). Beef is a convenient, versatile choice for a quick meal, as demonstrated by an uptick in beef consumption at home, with more than half of consumers
eating ground beef as an ingredient (61%) or a hamburger patty (51%) and more than one third eating steak (38%) in the past week. 1, 3
• 37% of consumers are looking for deals and coupons
• 36% are eating out less
• 28% are finding more ways to use leftovers
• 27% are stocking up or freezing items more frequently
More than half (52%) of all consumers report using recipes at least weekly. In particular, consumers look for budget-friendly (52%) and quick recipes (49%) with engaging imagery (60%).4
Activation
Because of inflation pressures, consumers are looking for ways to save and be efficient. Recipe development by the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. culinary team showcases how consumers can prepare less expensive cuts of beef and how to do more with leftovers. Also, recipes are highlighted in categories such as “one-dish meals” and “30 minutes or less” to inspire convenient and accessible beef meals for all ages. Checkoff-funded content creator and influencer partnerships also showcase low-cost, simple beef recipes that are easy to make at home.
PRICE
Research | In 2024, the cost of eating out was more than four times higher than the cost of a meal at home. As more than one-third (35%) choose to cook at home more often, consumers are continuing to choose beef, as demonstrated by a 3.8% increase in pounds sold and a 9.3% increase in total sales value for retail beef compared to one year ago.1,8,9
As inflationary pressures continue, 13% of consumers say they plan to purchase more budget-friendly ground beef in the future. Ground beef represents 48% of beef sales in volume at the retail case, and pounds sold are up 3.5% compared to one year ago.1, 10
Activation | Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. highlights the many ways families can utilize ground beef through engaging recipe collections that highlight comforting classics like chili or meatloaf to more innovative burger options. Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. also provides consumers with the best methods of cooking ground beef and a guide to understanding the different grinds. Videos with chef influencer partnerships cover “tips for cooking ground beef” and “prepping and cooking the perfect burger” and are delivered to consumers on YouTube and social media.
NUTRITION
Research | Eighty-eight percent of consumers sometimes or always consider if food is high in protein when choosing a meal.1
A majority (52%) of consumers rank beef above other proteins when considering which is a “great source of protein.” In 2024, 20% of consumers who were following
a diet opted for a high-protein version, and 38% of consumers are paying attention to food labels when choosing what to eat.1,5,6
Activation | The Beef Checkoff funds human nutrition research to provide science- backed data that demonstrates beef ‘s role in a healthy lifestyle for infants, toddlers, adolescents and adults. Human nutrition insights featured on Checkoff-funded BeefResearch. org, highlight beef’s protein content and the nine other essential nutrients it provides in informational resources for families of all ages. Additionally, this research supports Checkoff-funded efforts to push beef’s nutritional benefits. Here are a just few ways this information is delivered to consumer and nutrition and health expert audiences:
• Partnerships w/leading, credentialed nutrition influencers to reach consumers via social media and blog posts.
• Messaging in top-tier nutrition and health journals and e-blasts to provide health professionals with educational opportunities.
• In-office educational toolkits delivered to doctor’s offices across the nation.
• Interactive, educational-based events to engage nutrition and health experts (physicians, dietitians, and other health and wellness specialists) on understanding beef’s role in wellbeing.
EATING EXPERIENCE Research
• 86% of consumers indicate they always or often consider taste when choosing what protein to eat at home.
• On average, since 2019, 57% of consumers say beef outranks other proteins when it comes to taste.7
Activation | From mouthwatering recipe videos to engaging, recipe-centered social media content to partnerships with chefs and influencers to advertisements across digital platforms and streaming services, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. positions beef as the tastiest option.
3. Annual Meat Conference, The Power of Meat 2024.
4. Recipe Insights Survey, 2023.
5. IFIC; Greenwald & Associates; ID 993725
6. ShopperScape Health & Wellness 2.0 , May 2023-24
7. Consumer Beef Tracker, 2019-2024.
8. Circana POS and consumer data, 2024.
9. Circana, 1/1/23 – 10/8/23 – 1/1/24 – 10/6/24 Fresh Beef Sales by Volume and Value, Data Ending 10/6/2024.
10. Circana, Year to Date Retail Protein Sales 40 weeks ending 10/6/24.
Ingredients: Blackstrap Steaks with Caramelized Onions
Tired of the same old boring steak? Try brushing the meat with molasses and balsamic vinegar and serving your steaks with a caramelized onion relish. Unique and delicious!
Directions:
4 beef Chuck Eye or Ranch Steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 6 ounces each)
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)
Caramelized Onion Relish:
1-1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1. To prepare Caramelized Onions, spray medium nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium to medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. If necessary, respray skillet with cooking spray. Add bell pepper; continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are browned and bell pepper is crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Stir in sliced basil, pine nuts, 1 tablespoon vinegar and black pepper. Season with salt, as desired; keep warm.
2. Meanwhile combine molasses, Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar in small bowl.
3. Heat second large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Season steaks with black pepper. Place steaks in pan; cook 9 to 11 minutes (ranch steaks, 8 to 11 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally and brushing with molasses mixture during last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking.
4. Season steaks with salt, as desired; serve with caramelized onions. Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving: 405 Calories; 162 Calories from fat; 18g Total Fat (6 g Saturated Fat; 7 g Monounsaturated Fat;) 119 mg Cholesterol; 186 mg Sodium; 24 g Total Carbohydrate; 1.7 g Dietary Fiber; 36 g Protein; 8.6 mg Iron; 3.7 mg NE Niacin; 0.6 mg Vitamin B6; 2.8 mcg Vitamin B12; 12.1 mg Zinc; 33.8 mcg Selenium This recipe is an excellent source of Protein, Iron, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Zinc, and Selenium.
www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com
ROYALE VIDEO
MONDAY, JULY 28
Superior Sunrise - 7:30 a.m.
Video Auction - 8:00 a.m. (PDT)
TUESDAY, JULY 29
Superior Sunrise - 7:30 a.m.
Video Auction - 8:00 a.m. (PDT)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
Superior Sunrise - 7:30 a.m.
Video Auction - 8:00 a.m. (PDT)
27th Annual Superior Livestock Cowboy Golf Tournament - 5:00 p.m.
THURSDAY, JULY 31
Superior Sunrise - 7:30 a.m.
Video Auction - 8:00 a.m. (PDT)
Customer Appreciation Dinner Featuring live music from The Bellamy Brothers, Kevin Davis and Waylon Thibodeaux - 6:00 p.m.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
Superior Sunrise - 7:30 a.m.
Video Auction - 8:00 a.m. (PDT)
Social at The Martin House
Live music from Waylon Thibodeaux
JULY 28- AUGUST 1, 2025
KEVIN DAVIS
News from the desk of NDA DIRECTOR GOICOECHEA
NDA is preparing to send off one of our vital staff members. After an incredible 40 years of state service with the NDA, State Entomologist Jeff Knight will be retiring on Friday, July 4, 2025. As we enter his final week with us, let’s take a look back…
Jeff’s longtime dream of becoming an entomologist was sparked in childhood and fostered through 4-H programs. He pursued a Bachelor of Science in Pest Management from the University of Nevada, Reno, and went on to earn his Master of Science in Entomology from Utah State University. In 1977, Jeff started his career with the NDA as an entomology seasonal.
In 1993, Jeff was promoted to State Entomologist where he safeguarded Nevada’s economy and food security by responding to invasive species and agricultural pests. Jeff’s passion and dedication to the development and curation of the State of Nevada Entomology Collection has catalogued the discovery of new species within the state and expanded the formal state records for species. He has also identified innumerable samples from the public and agriculture community, offering insights and management recommendations.
Jeff is regarded as a tireless advocate for environmental stewardship, educating Nevadans on the importance of sustainable practices to preserve our state’s valuable ecosystems. His dedication to protecting Nevada’s agriculture has been invaluable, and we wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement!
JJ Goicoechea
JJ Goicoechea, Director
Nevada Dept of Agriculture 405 South 21st Street Sparks, NV 89431
NDA hosts National Child Nutrition Conference in Las Vegas
In June, Director Goicoechea delivered the keynote address at the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) National Professional Association (NPA) Conference, held in Las Vegas. This year’s conference focused on “Embracing Challenges and Creating Innovative Solutions for Child Nutrition Programs,” a theme that resonated throughout the event.
The CACFP NPA plays a vital role in supporting state agencies as they administer CACFP with integrity, ensuring quality nutrition and wellness for children and adults across the nation. The success of the conference was due in large part to the dedicated efforts of Lindsay Talbot, NDA Community Nutrition Supervisor and President of the NPA, who organized this impactful event. The entire NDA Community Nutrition team was also in attendance, engaging with colleagues and contributing to the discussions.
Livestock Scale Inspection in July
It’s livestock scale inspection season! The NDA will be traveling across the state in July to conduct these vital inspections, weather permitting. Scale owners will be receiving more information by email or letter a week in advance of their inspection. We aim to make this process as smooth as possible for Nevada’s ranchers and producers. Below is the tentative schedule:
July 7 – 11: Austin | Big Smoky Valley | Dixie Valley | Round Mountain | Eureka | Carlin | Pine Valley
July 14 – 18: Smith Valley | Yerington | Ely & Currant (week 1)
July 21 – 25: Gerlach | Northern Washoe County | Ely & Currant (week 2)
July 28 - August 1: Golconda | Midas | Winnemucca | Imlay | Lovelock
“Healed and Peeled” reminders for livestock inspections
Per NAC 565, the NDA requires all cattle and calves sold to have healed and peeled brands or point of origin brand inspections. To protect the agriculture industry from livestock theft and disease, the sale of unbranded cattle at auction or processing at slaughter facilities without a point of origin brand inspection is illegal. Read more here: https://mailchi.mp/agri/ nac565_enforcement-5856606
Celebrating Student “Farmpreneurs” at Green Our Planet’s Giant Student Farmers’ Market
This incredible biannual event was held on Earth Day, April 22, and is distinguished as the nation’s largest student-run farmers’ market, powerfully demonstrated the innovative spirit of young “Farmpreneurs.” The event featured over 520 students from 52 Clark County School District schools, who sold their homegrown produce and handcrafted items. Every sale directly contributes to their respective school garden programs, thereby fostering the development of future healthy eaters and dedicated environmental stewards. We commend these students for their exceptional work and dedication.
The Just One Project’s
“Food Is Medicine” Farmer’s Market increases access to nutritious foods
The Just One Project is a vital non-profit dedicated to alleviating food insecurity and promoting holistic well-being in southern Nevada. Its mission is to increase access to nutritious food, essential resources and supportive services, thereby building a healthier and more connected community. Their “Food Is Medicine Farmers Market” program exemplifies this mission by providing free, fresh and healthy produce to those in need, emphasizing the critical link between diet and health.
The NDA is actively involved with The Just One Project, particularly through its administration of programs like the Senior Nutrition & Wellness Program which enables The Just One Project to provide monthly boxes of nutritious food to lowincome seniors. Notably, Brooke Neubauer, CEO of The Just One Project, also serves on the Nevada Board of Agriculture, representing food security.
Summer food available for kids and teens 18 years and younger
It’s that time of year when students are released for summer break. For most students, this is an exciting time to be out of the classroom, but for those who depend on school meals, there may be uncertainty of where their next meal will come from. The NDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) offers free meals to kids and teens 18 years and younger, no questions asked. Parents, children and teens can find a meal site near them by visiting nvsummermeals.com, texting “Summer Meals” to 914-342-7744 or calling 1-866-348-6479.
Is it Safe to Feel Bullish on Calves..?
Like many of this publication’s readers, I am looking forward to selling calves this summer on one of the video auctions.
The markets have been strong with calves in all weight ranges selling for record highs. The cow/ calf sector of the cattle industry is enjoying some great much needed increased income. This is a good thing because expenses are increasing too.
With calves in all weight classes selling between $1,500 to over $2,000 each it is hard not to be bullish and optimistic. There are some wrinkles however. With these calf prices, one wonders how feeders are being profitable and I read recently that packers had one of the worst months in history in this past May.
Another concern I have had is at what point do consumers think the retail price of beef is too high and they cut back on buying more expensive cuts of beef?
I read in a recent Beef industry magazine retail beef prices have been record high for more than twelve consecutive months. For example, when compared with May 2024, there was a 6.8% increase in average price per pound of beef in May of 2025. And yet, demand for beef in the retail sector is the strongest in over twenty years. Thus, even at these higher per pound prices, the customers still want quality American beef.
Another potential problem for the consumer is the tightening of beef in the supply chain. This is due to a continuing decrease in the national cow herd and no apparent desire on the part of producers to retain heifers and start rebuilding the cow numbers.
We have all seen a variation on this statement: the nation’s cow herd is at the lowest number since the 1950s but with smaller numbers we are producing about the same number of pounds of beef as we did back then.
It is obvious to me, a real economist amateur, that as long as these record prices continue that herd rebuilding is going to be put on the back burner. The often-untold part of the story is the product is the highest quality in taste and eating satisfaction it has ever been and that is a chief reason demand remains record high even in light of the retail price increases.
One more statistic to drive home the point. There was an increase in the pound sales of beef of 4.7% in May of 2025 compared to the number of pounds sold in May of 2024.
I hope my concerns are ill-founded and the commodity markets, customers growers figure this out and give everyone the softest landing possible. Until then, I’ll see you soon.
THE ROUNDUP
An analysis of western ranching politics.
WILDFIRE UPDATE
Number of new large fires: 15
Number of active large uncontained fires: 25
Acres in active fires: 319,161
Large Fires contained: 3
Updated as of June 28, National Interagency Fire Report: www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/sitreprt.pdf
IN THE NEWS
Public lands sale in “One Big Beautiful Bill” creates division in Congress; Sen. Lee attempts to revive public lands bill by excluding forest sales; Secretary Burgum addresses public land sale provisions in the “One Big Beautiful Bill”. Republican critics mobilize to block public land sales, E&E News - Five House Republicans warned Speaker Mike Johnson they will vote against President Donald Trump’s domestic megabill if public land sales are included. The ultimatum comes as Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) awaits a verdict on his latest iteration of a plan to sell roughly 1 million acres in the West. The Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, earlier this week axed a much broader proposal. The threat from the House lawmakers opens yet another fissure as Republicans struggle to finalize the tax cut, energy and security spending package ahead of a selfimposed July 4 deadline.
Mike Lee seeks to revive public lands sale — now without forests, AXIOS Salt Lake City - Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is trying to revive a reduced version of his controversial plan to sell off public lands to private housing developers. Driving the news: Lee told Scripps on Wednesday that a new version of the proposal is “being argued with the [Senate] Parliamentarian.” The parliamentarian blocked a more expansive draft this week after finding it violated rules limiting “extraneous” measures that can be added during budget reconciliation. The new version also limits sales to land within 5 miles of a “population
center” — though it doesn’t specify what density or census count qualifies as a population center.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum tells Scripps News public land sales are not part of the Trump agenda, Scripps News - Scripps News spoke with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday about efforts to pass President Donald Trump’s flagship “Big Beautiful Bill” and the effects it could have on National Parks and other federal lands overseen by the Department of the Interior. In the interview, Burgum addressed a controversial provision in the proposed budget reconciliation bill that would facilitate the sale of public lands, saying he was agnostic about whether it passes as part of the package. The Senate Parliamentarian on Monday found the provision was “extraneous” to Congress’ budgetary duties and should be cut unless it can pass a 60-vote threshold.
President Trump and cabinet members attend wildfire roundtable hosted by ID state officials.
Gov. Little hosts Trump administration officials for wildfire roundtable, annual trail ride, Office of the Governor - Governor Brad Little and Lt. Governor Scott Bedke hosted high ranking officials in the Trump administration this week for a roundtable on the 2025 wildfire season before they joined the Governor’s trail ride, an annual gathering of officials and people who work the land to discuss important natural resources issues. The purpose of the wildfire roundtable was to ensure the utmost coordination is occurring between the state and federal government leading into the 2025 wildfire season.
Wildfire experts testify in congressional hearing to promote new wildfire prevention technology; OR lawmakers repeal state-wide wildfire hazard map; New study on positive effects of prescribed burns.
Emerging wildfire technology makes pitch to US lawmakers at congressional hearing on Thursday, Wildfire Today- The United States’ wildland firefighting force was called the “very best 1990s firefighters” during a congressional hearing on Thursday morning.
San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Chief Dan Munsey, speaking at a hearing held at the House Committee on Natural Resources, said it’s a misnomer to say the US has the most “technologically advanced” firefighting force, since firefighters on the ground are using paper maps and radios from decades ago, compared with the modern technology available to the general public today. Munsey attributed the failure to use modern technology to federal barriers.
Oregon Legislature repeals contested wildfire hazard map, E&E News- Oregon lawmakers have voted to repeal the state’s contentious wildfire hazard map, which subjected homeowners in certain areas at
high risk of wildfires to stricter building codes and requirements to reduce vegetation on their properties. The measure passed the state House with just one vote against Tuesday, after passing the state Senate unanimously in April. Republicans had called for the map’s repeal throughout the legislative session and accused Democrats of stalling it. The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.
Prescribed burns can help reduce fire intensity and smoke pollution: Study, The Hill- Prescribed burns can decrease the severity of future fires by about 16 percent and slash smoke pollution by 14 percent, a new study has found. These controlled blazes are much more effective outside the wildland-urban interface (WUI) — the area where homes meet wild vegetation — than within it, according to the study, published Thursday in AGU Advances. Experts already consider prescribed burns to be an effective strategy for curbing the threat of wildfires, the researchers acknowledged, noting that $2 billion in federal funds are allocated to such treatments.
Wolves: Enviros legally challenge 2021 FWS decision to remove federal protections of gray wolves; The growing CA wolf population leads to an increase in livestock depredations.
Conservation Groups Sue Feds for Alleged ESA Violations in Wolf Decision, Mountain Journal- Before government-sanctioned bounties for gray wolves unraveled at the turn of the 20th century, as many as 2 million individuals roamed freely throughout North America. Hunted nearly to extinction as westward expansion ensued, population estimates for one of America’s top carnivores dropped to below 700 wolves by 1960.
Federal conservation initiatives driven by the Endangered Species Act have protected wolves, driving their population to an estimated 3,000 individuals today. But a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year argued that gray wolves in the western U.S. no longer required federal protection.
As California’s gray wolf population grows, so do conflicts with ranchers, NPR- Gray wolves disappeared from California nearly a century ago. In the 2010s, they started to come back, and now their numbers have grown so much that ranchers in Northern California are complaining that their livestock is threatened. Four counties declared a state of emergency due to the wolves’ presence this spring. From member station CapRadio, environment reporter Manola Secaira has this story about the emerging tensions over living with wolves. Chad Smith’s ranch, Bar One Cattle Company, is usually a peaceful place. It’s located in a rural part of Northern California. But like many ranchers in the area, he’s seeing wolves on his property. In a recent incident, his cow survived an attack.
Grizzly Bears: ID Fish and Game
euthanized a food-conditioned grizzly to protect residents. Food-conditioned grizzly bear euthanized in Island Park, Idaho Fish and Game- On June 26, Idaho Fish and Game, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, euthanized an adult male grizzly after it had become food-conditioned from consistently receiving food rewards in an Island Park neighborhood. The bear began frequenting the Pinehaven area early last week, where it received multiple food rewards from unsecured garbage cans, and broke into vehicles used to store garbage. The large bear was consistently seen on doorbell cameras and tracks were seen throughout the neighborhood, accessing garbage, and pushing against buildings.
Congress: Senate parliamentarian looks to vet Sen. Lee’s amendment language on public lands sales.
Sen. Lee scales back public lands sell-off, D NewsSen. Mike Lee’s latest proposal to sell federal land dramatically scales back the amount that would be auctioned off and the pool from which it could be selected. But the Republican from Utah continues to push the unpopular land sell-off mandate and the backlash against it showed no sign of slowing Wednesday. The latest language had not been vetted by the Senate Parliamentarian as of Wednesday evening to determine if it complies with budget reconciliation rules. An earlier version of Lee’s legislation that would have mandated the sale of more than 3 million acres ran afoul of those rules and was stripped out of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Administration: Sec. Brooke Rollins announces slate of new appointments for positions at USDA.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announces new appointments at USDA, RFD TV- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins today announced the latest slate of presidential appointments for key positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “American farmers and ranchers work tirelessly to feed, fuel, and clothe America. The incredible team we are building at USDA will make it easier—not harder—for farmers to fulfill their calling. I welcome the latest group of appointees and look forward to continuing our work to put Farmers First at USDA,” said Secretary Rollins.
Wildfire: CO law aims to reduce risk of wildfires.
Colorado aims to reduce catastrophic wildfire risks through prescribed burns, Kiowa County Press- A new Colorado law aims to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires by providing financial protection for trained and certified individuals to safely manage prescribed burns. Low-intensity prescribed burns can remove hazardous fuel sources such as brush piles, dead or dying vegetation, leaf litter and small trees. Parker
Titus, Colorado fire program manager for The Nature Conservancy, said fire practitioners have been reluctant to take on projects in Colorado, even though fewer than 1 percent of all burns spread beyond established parameters.
Wolves: CPW will convene on July 7th to discuss status of Copper Creek wolf pack; Map released of collared gray wolves in CO; Three new wolf packs confirmed in CA.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife sets date to discuss the fate of Copper Creek wolf pack, Summit Daily- Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s commission will convene a special meeting on Monday, July 7, to discuss the status and potential fate of the Copper Creek wolf pack. The pack, which has been embroiled in controversy and conflict since the pack formed and had pups last spring, was tied to multiple livestock attacks and deaths in Pitkin County in late May. After Parks and Wildlife confirmed the pack was connected to four livestock attacks in eight days, and that ranchers had taken steps to mitigate the conflict, officials killed one of Copper Creek’s male yearlings on May 29.
A look at where Colorado’s collared gray wolves explored this June, Vail Daily- About a year and a half into reintroduction efforts, Colorado’s gray wolves are continuing to settle into the state and explore similar watersheds, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s monthly wolf map. Wolf activity appears to be slightly more condensed in Colorado’s central-northern counties compared to recent months, including April and May, where the wolves’ exploration started to stretch further west and south.
Op-Ed: Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?, Morning Ag Clips- Things change in California. Three new wolf packs have been identified, and the ill-informed, antiwolf press is getting exceptionally active. Apparently, this increasing number of wolves living in California threaten success of the state’s vast agricultural economy. A few humans are fearful when first learning numbers of these elusive creatures in remote places are increasing. However, it is California cattle producers actively leading the current effort to rid our state of this cursed, menace soon. I like to eat cheap and am a ‘retired and recovering’ farmer myself. I do wonder what about these shy canids is of such concern.
Wild horse and burro: Trump administration looks to reduce program budget by 25%.
Budget proposal threatens longstanding protections for wild horses, KOLO- Nevada is home to more wild horses than any other state, and has become ground zero in a debate over how to manage the country’s wild horse population. But now, a new federal budget proposal from the Trump administration could eliminate the decades old ban on horse slaughter and slash funding for the Wild Horse and Burro Program by 25%.
“This president’s budget opens the door and enables the slaughter of our wild horses and burros,” said Amelia Perrin, senior communications manager with the American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC). The budget calls on Congress to allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to “humanely dispose” of tens of thousands of federally protected animals currently housed in government facilities.
Administration: Trump Admin. plans to freeze $30 billion in EPA spending; DOI plan expands energy development; NPS officials expect Operation Opportunity to open vacancies throughout NPS.
How Trump plans to use his limited budget authority to kill EPA grants, E&E News- The Trump administration is taking the unusual step of trying to cut funding and eliminate programs it dislikes by using routine administrative actions to block billions in EPA grants that the previous administration signed binding contracts to pay. The administration’s strategy involves a series of bureaucratic maneuvers to return previously committed EPA grant funds to the U.S. Treasury and to kill grant programs addressing climate change, equity and pollution reduction. It comes as President Donald Trump’s budget chief, Russ Vought, is reported to be searching for unspent money at various agencies to ask Congress to rescind and seeking to expand executive power over the federal budget.
Extractive industries in, environmental protections out in plan for federal lands, Colorado Newsline- The Trump administration’s revised Department of the Interior strategic plan calls for expanded fossil fuel development across federal lands, while omitting any reference to public land sales first raised in an earlier draft. Required under a 1993 statute and in 2010 amendments to that law, the draft plan outlines highlevel goals for Interior’s management of 480 million acres of federal land, including about 24 million acres in Colorado.
National Parks scramble to fill top leadership positions, but fix could create more vacancies, Government Executive- The National Park Service is scrambling to fill top-level leadership positions at posts throughout the country, launching a new initiative to fill dozens of vacant roles that some inside the agency fear will only create new openings at other sites. Dubbed “Operation Opportunity,” NPS is soliciting applications for openings at the superintendent, deputy superintendent and chief of facilities level at a variety of park locations.
Wildfire preparedness now at level 3.
National wildfire officials boost U.S. risk level , The Bulletin- The national wildfire preparedness level increased to 3 early June 21, on a scale from 1 to 5. Higher numbers indicate a boost in fire activity, more conditions associated with ignition and spread, and greater risk that firefighting resources will be stretched to or beyond capacity.
Public Lands Disposal Language in the “Big Beautiful Bill: What Grazing Permittees need to know.
Over the last several weeks, public conversation around draft language circulated by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has dominated many natural resources communities. Most of the information circulating in the public space is inaccurate, out of date, or simply opportunistic.
Here’s what grazing permittees need to know: On June 11, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT) published draft text of the Committee’s portion of the Senate’s proposed reconciliation bill.
• Subtitle C of the draft text would direct the Secretary of Agriculture and Interior to go through a process to dispose of between 0.5% to 0.75% (maximum of 3,322,500 acres) of the land owned by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), respectively, to address local housing or associated community needs.
• The Secretaries would solicit nominations of BLM and USFS lands to be disposed within 30 days, consult with Governors, local governments, and Tribes, and publish a list of tracts to be disposed every 60 days thereafter.
• The original draft included lands with valid existing rights, specifically calling out mining claims, grazing permits, and more.
• A subsequent working draft was leaked that eliminated the specific call out of grazing permits, raising concerns that grazing lands were at risk.
• PLC has secured commitments from Senate leadership to ensure any final language will specifically and definitively protect grazing allotments and permits from any eligibility under the disposal criteria.
A final version of the Senate’s draft is still under negotiation.
The short version: Any maps that may be circulating are based on an outdated draft of language that considered what might be eligible, but not suitable for disposal under the language. While federal agencies have tools to dispose of land for a variety of purposes, FLTFA and RPPA disposals often languish and are never completed.
PLC’s Position: PLC has policy to support disposal of tracts to make land management more contiguous and be responsive to local needs, as long as we see no loss of AUMs and protect grazing access to the landscape.
PLC is committed to protecting grazing and land management, and to having an honest conversation about what’s real, what’s a myth, and what’s really at stake in important conversations about land management.
On June 16th, the Senate Finance Committee released its version of the tax package for the reconciliation bill. Many of our priorities from the House-passed version remain unchanged in the proposed Senate bill. Chairman Mike Crapo stated that this bill prevents a tax hike of over $4 trillion and makes the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, allowing families and businesses to save and plan for the future.
We are pleased that the majority of the bill is consistent between the House and the Senate. Two of PLC’s priorities involve the death tax and the disaster-related casualty loss sections of the bill.
Regarding the death tax, the Senate’s bill mirrors the text passed by the House, increasing the exemption amount to $15 million per individual and $30 million per couple, adjusted for inflation each year, and making this exemption permanent. This is a significant step in the right direction concerning the death tax. It acknowledges a reality in the agriculture industry: producers are often land-rich but cash-poor. This updated text is crucial for preserving generational operations.
Furthermore, the Senate’s proposed text for disasterrelated casualty loss permanently extends the itemized deduction for personal casualty losses resulting from federally declared disasters. With the wildfire season approaching, we strongly support this provision. Disasters such as wildfires can severely affect operations, and we want to ensure there are safeguards in place for these unforeseen events.
The Senate will attempt to move quickly within the next two weeks, in an attempt to meet the President’s requested timeframe of July 4.
Stay tuned and follow along with us as we make sure producers remain front and center in these conversations.
To learn more about the entire tax package, visit: https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/ chairman-crapo-releases-finance-committeereconciliation-text
NewWorld Screwworm: Secretary Rollins makes announcement on new facility.
This week, Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins traveled to Edinburg, TX to announce the United States Department of Agriculture’s plan to build a New World screwworm facility at Moore Air Base in south Texas. USDA has allocated $8.5 million for this fly dispersal facility. Additionally, USDA has created a sweeping five-prolonged plan to help stop the NWS from spreading further.
“We do not take lightly the threat NWS poses to our livestock industry, our economy, and our food supply chain. The United States government will use all resources at its disposal to push back NWS, and today’s announcement of a domestic strategy to bolster our border defenses is just the beginning,” said Secretary Rollins.
In May, USDA announced a $21 million investment to renovate an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico. This was an important step to help eradicate the screwworm, but we needed additional fly production within our own borders.
As of today, there are no confirmed cases of the screwworm in the United States. The most recent map from APHIS indicates that the northernmost cases in Mexico are about 700 to 730 air miles away from Laredo, TX. To review the APHIS Map, visit: https:// www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ ticks/screwworm/outbreak-central-america
While majority of the concern is for the southern border states, it is important for all producers to be alert to signs of screwworm. When NWS was endemic in the United States, cattle producers were regularly impacted east-to-west from Virginia to California, and south-to-north from the Mexican border/Gulf Coast up to Nevada/Colorado/Kansas/Missouri/ Kentucky. We have heard from some producers that it reached all the way to Nebraska and Wyoming. Therefore, we want everyone to be aware of this issue. We recommend all producers familiarize themselves with the signs of screwworm infection. View a two page informative flyer here: https://www.aphis.usda. gov/sites/default/files/nws-pest-card.pdf
The screwworm is an extremely expensive disease to eradicate, and it could be detrimental to the entire beef industry. PLC appreciates all the work that Sec. Rollins and her team are putting in to prevent the screwworm and protect our producers. Visit https:// tinyurl.com/SecRollinsScrewWorm to learn more.
Interior Department Seeks Public Input to Reduce Regulatory Burdens
Closes: July 21, 2025 | Comment Here: www. federalregister.gov/documents/2025/05/20/2025 -08931/regulatory-reform
Contact Garrett Edmonds with suggestions or questions at gedmonds@beef.org, or (202) 879-9102.
Arizona Cattle Growers Association 2025 Summer Convention
July 23-25, 2025, Thatcher Arizona. Register here: https://www.azcattlegrowers.org/2025-acgasummer-convention
Sign up for the Weekly Roundup at publiclandscouncil.org/news
The Dec. 31, 2025, expiration of many provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) adds a new task to the 2025 congressional to-do list: updating the tax code. Many TCJA provisions provided important relief for farm families. While reductions in the corporate income tax rates were made permanent in 2017, income tax cuts for individuals began to phase out in 2022, with the biggest tax increases coming with expirations at the end of 2025. This Market Intel report is the fifth in a series exploring the expiring TCJA provisions – including individual tax provisions, the qualified business income deduction, capital expensing provisions and estate taxes– and their impact on farm families.
At a time when so many farmers and ranchers are facing razor-thin margins at best and considerable losses at worst, congressional action –or inaction – on tax policy will be a make or break in farm country. Farm families of all sizes were among the 65% of Americans with lower federal taxes after TCJA was passed. If TCJA expires, USDA estimates that farmers and ranchers will spend an additional $9 billion on federal taxes each year.
The size of a federal tax bill can make or break farm profitability, particularly for small farms on the brink of breaking even. Each dollar that comes out of a farm family’s bank account to pay taxes is one less they can spend on improvements to their homes and farms, one less to hire an additional worker, one less to spend at other businesses in their community and one less they can put toward growing food, fiber and fuel.
Property taxes and fees reached record levels in 2024, and federal income taxes are set to soar in 2026 –rising by more than $5,000 per farm
on average – due to the temporary nature of the TCJA provisions. This huge tax increase comes on top of above-average production expenses and low crop prices.
Moderate farms are the first group of farmers to make a profit, which is, on average, less than $45,000, even in favorable economic conditions, meaning 13% of their already meager profits would be eaten up by higher taxes. These farms especially are having to make significant capital investments in their operations without the revenues to cover them.
Tax hikes could lead to less production and potential job cuts because assets would have to be diverted from the farm or ranch to pay a federal tax. EY estimates that expiration of TCJA provisions would lead to agriculture losing 49,000 jobs equaling $3 billion in wages and reduce overall economic activity by $10 billion.
Other than Section 179 capital expensing, all other tax provisions crucial to farm and ranch families are set to revert to permanent law at the end of the year. Larger family farms are generally affected by even more of the expiring provisions like bonus depreciation and estate taxes since they require more capital assets to operate. These bigger family farms, however, are still facing the losses and thin margins that come with high production costs and low revenues, while also contributing more agricultural products for the supply chain than their small counterparts.
The effects of increased taxes described above are only for farms and ranches, but expiration of TCJA tax provisions would likely have ripple effects through the entire ag supply chain and rural communities. These are not only many of the jobs that help sustain farms and ranches in down ag economies, but the feed stores, grain elevators and equipment mechanics needed for the whole agricultural supply chain.
Conclusion
Most farming risks, like markets and weather, are out of farmers’, ranchers’ and Congress’ hands, but there is something that can be done about current policy-driven risks like the TCJA expirations and an outdated farm bill. Farm families already face several unknowns on their balance sheet from labor costs and yearly revenues; policy permanency,
particularly with a favorable tax code, is one way policymakers can provide a bit of stability for the 2% of Americans providing food, fiber and fuel for our nation and the world.
Nevada Farm Bureau Grassroots News
2025 Cookout Prices Similar to 2024
Our annual market basket survey reports that hosting a summer cookout for ten people will cost $70.92, just 30 cents less than last year’s record high—making the perperson price $7.09, the second-highest since 2013
Ground beef (2 lb): $13.33 (+4.4%)
Chicken breasts (2 lb): $7.79 (–0.5%)
Pork chops (3 lb): $14.13 (–8.8%)
Potato salad (2½ lb): $3.54 (+6.6%)
Pork & beans (32 oz): $2.69 (+8.2%)
Chips (16 oz): $4.80 (–2.1%)
Hamburger buns (pkg): $2.35 (–2.6%)
Driving Forces: Beef prices rise due to tighter cattle supply • Canned goods see higher costs from tariffs on steel and aluminum • Egg prices, a key ingredient in potato salad, remain elevated amid supply rebounds following avian flu
Meanwhile, commodities like pork chops, chips, and buns have become more affordable. Surplus pork has lowered pork chop prices, trending down nearly 9%, while decreased potato demand and stabilized wheat prices eased chip and bun costs. Despite the high numbers, U.S. consumers still spend a smaller fraction of their income on food than other countries.
Farmers, however, aren’t pocketing higher profits— rising farm input costs mean they receive only about 15% of the retail dollar. AFBF President Zippy Duvall emphasized the importance of a new, modernized fiveyear Farm Bill to help stabilize agriculture and support food independence.
Nevada Ag Wagon Gets a Fresh New Look with Mural Makeover
The Nevada Farm Bureau is excited to announce that the Nevada Ag Wagon is undergoing a creative transformation! This iconic trailer, known for traveling across the state to promote agricultural education and awareness, is getting a vibrant mural makeover to reflect the rich story of Nevada agriculture.
The new mural will showcase the diversity, strength, and heritage of Nevada’s farming and ranching communities. From wide-open rangelands and family farms to the crops, livestock, and hardworking people that make Nevada ag thrive, the updated design will bring the Ag Wagon to life like never before.
The project is more than just a fresh coat of paint—it’s a celebration of Nevada agriculture’s legacy and future. The Ag Wagon plays a vital role in connecting with students, families, and communities across the state through outreach events, fairs, and classroom visits. This new design will make an even bigger impact by turning the trailer into a moving work of art that sparks conversation and curiosity wherever it goes.
Stay tuned as we unveil the finished design in the coming weeks. We can’t wait to share the final result with all of you—and to keep rolling down the road with a new look that proudly represents Nevada agriculture!
Enhancing Opportunity For Small And Urban Food Producers
As a general farm organization Nevada Farm Bureau has a responsibility to represent (protect and promote) all sizes of farm/ranchers. Nevada Farm Bureau’s policy regarding small farm and urban food lead to these positions in the 83rd Session:
AB 352 This bill became law with the votes of unanimous “Yeas” in each house of the Legislature (there was one accepted non-vote in the Assembly). The bill was introduced and carried by Assembly Natha Anderson, who was chairman of the Assembly Natural Resources. If small or urban farms have any likelihood of being successful, they need to be able to increase the enhanced value that they can get on the market. AB 352 allows this to occur through the system of cottage food and “Food to Fork.” Farm Bureau’s support for passage was based on our policy which was adopted by our voting delegates. The bill also turned out to be the center of the circle recognizing in producing food from small and urban farms.
In regard to Nevada’s farm/ranch sector (3,122 farms and ranches) there are a total of 2,205 producers, as group, who produce and sell agricultural products less than $50,000. The law that will come from AB 352 will give an opportunity to increase for an expanded sustainability.
SB 104 Start them young! SB 104 was introduced and strongly by Senator Julie Pazine. She introduced a very similar version in the 2023 Legislature. That proposal for funding to establish and operate a system for school gardens wasn’t passed but still did get a significant amount of funding through the “Christmas Bill Package” that was approved.
SB 233 Nevada Farm Bureau policy promotes and supports Home Feeds Nevada. Because of the combination available funds at the state level and the federal government deciding to not continue to send the funds they were putting out through the Biden Administration timeframe, we’ll need to figure out a source and process for sustaining the program.
AB 171 - This bill was the first was the session’s passed and signed into law. It was motivated by the high, growing price and availability of eggs. In the 2021 session the bill which became law made the requirement that only cagefree eggs could be purchased used in Nevada (except for eggs from chickens in Nevada that were there were 3,000 or less). This has turned out to be a monology which into a terrible marketing situation was created as the chicken flu hit and the areas which qualified were impacted.
AB 251 This bill revises the definition of “custom processing establishment” to: (1) remove the requirement that the facility be fixed; and (2) provide that a custom processing establishment is licensed in accordance with the regulations adopted by the Officer to perform custom processing or slaughter certain animals for human consumption on a commercial basis in intrastate commerce. It was a submitted and carried by Assemblymembers Gregory Koenig and Bert Gurr. It received an unanimous vote in each House and will
take effect as a law July 1, 2026. Nevada Farm Bureau supported on the basis that this expansion of the state meat and inspection program will enhance the opportunity for small livestock operations – and livestock producers of all sizes – to be sustainable.
SB 466 - The linchpin to this package of bills, introduced and promoted by Governor Joe Lombardo. The transfer of the authority, responsibility and funding is a great change. The Nevada Department of Agriculture will be certainly more understanding of the needs for small and urban farms than those connected who are “health agency” employees. The only two legislators who didn’t think the bill should become law were Assemblymember Jill Dickman and Heidi Kasama.
NFB’s support and encourage for passage was passed on policy and also the way in which the “health” folks carried out what they thought was the right thing to do – it made it difficult for small and urban farmers.
Wildfire Smoke Regulations Will Become Law: New Requirements Will Burden Rural Employers
The Nevada Legislature has passed Senate Bill 260, setting in motion the development of new wildfire smoke regulations by OSHA. Introduced and championed by Sen. Edgar Flores of Las Vegas, the bill approaches many of same matters, in similar fashion as the approach taken with the heat illness regulation passed in 2023 (SB 427) – both measures backed by the same group of supporters.
SB 260 requires OSHA to create specific mandates for employers to protect employees from wildfire smoke exposure, with enforcement triggered by certain air quality index (AQI) thresholds. This proposal passed the Legislature with votes of 15–6 in the Senate and 32–10 in the Assembly.
NFB opposed SB 260 based on concerns about the lack of accessible air quality data across much of rural Nevada. While employers in urban areas may have real-time air quality monitoring at their fingertips, the same cannot be said for large swaths of the state’s rural regions.
The law requires that employers meet specific obligations based on Air Quality Index levels, but if there are no monitoring equipment in a rural community, how will employers know whether they are meeting – or not – in meeting required to levels act? Holding farmers, ranchers, and other rural employers accountable for conditions they cannot verify or monitor is a major concern and one we believe must be addressed during the regulation’s development phase.
NFB will continue to advocate for practical, sciencebased policy that takes into account the realities of rural life and agriculture. We encourage all members to stay engaged as this regulatory process moves forward.
USDA Launches Relief for Livestock Producers Hit by Drought
Full report: https://www.fb.org/market-intel/emergencylivestock-relief-program-how-it-works
EMPOWERING COMMON SENSE WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. The devastation of the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires shocked the American people and highlighted the catastrophic consequences when State and local governments are unable to quickly respond to such disasters. In too many cases, including in California, a slow and inadequate response to wildfires is a direct result of reckless mismanagement and lack of preparedness. Wildfires threaten every region, yet many local government entities continue to disregard commonsense preventative measures. Firefighters across the country are forced to rely on outdated technology and face challenges in quickly responding to wildfires because of unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy.
The Federal Government can empower State and local leaders by streamlining Federal wildfire capabilities to improve their effectiveness and promoting commonsense, technology-enabled local strategies for land management and wildfire response and mitigation.
Sec. 2. Streamlining Federal Wildland Fire Governance. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall, to the maximum degree practicable and consistent with applicable law, consolidate their wildland fire programs to achieve the most efficient and effective use of wildland fire offices, coordinating bodies, programs, budgets, procurement processes, and research and, as necessary, recommend additional measures to advance this objective.
Sec. 3. Encouraging Local Wildfire Preparedness and Response. (a) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall:
(i) expand and strengthen the use of partnerships, agreements, compacts, and mutual aid capabilities that empower Federal, State, local, tribal, and community-driven land management
that reduces wildfire risk and improves wildfire response, including on public lands; and
(ii) develop and expand the use of other measures to incentivize responsible land management and wildfire prevention, mitigation, and response measures at the State and local levels.
(b) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) represented at the National Interagency Fire Center, shall:
(i) develop a comprehensive technology roadmap, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to increase wildfire firefighting capabilities at the State and local levels, including through artificial intelligence, data sharing, innovative modeling and mapping capabilities, and technology to identify wildland fire ignitions and weather forecasts to inform response and evacuation; and
(ii) promote the use of a risk-informed approach, as consistent with Executive Order 14239 of March 18, 2025 (Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness), to develop new policies that remove barriers to preventing and responding to wildfires, including through year-round response readiness, better forest health, and activities outlined in Executive Order 14225 of March 1, 2025 (Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production).
Sec. 4. Strengthening Wildfire Mitigation. Within 90 days of the date of this order:
(a) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall consider modifying or rescinding, as consistent with applicable law, Federal rules or policies that impede the use of appropriate, preventative prescribed fires.
(b) The Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior,
shall consider modifying or rescinding, as consistent with applicable law, Federal rules or policies hindering the appropriate use of fire retardant to fight wildfires.
(c) The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall consider promoting, assisting, and facilitating, as consistent with applicable law, innovative uses of woody biomass and forest products to reduce fuel loads in areas at risk of wildfires.
(d) The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Energy, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall consider initiating rulemaking proceedings to establish, as consistent with applicable law, best practices to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from the bulk-power system without increasing costs for electric-power end users, including through methods such as vegetation management, the removal of foresthazardous fuels along transmission lines, improved engineering approaches, and safer operational practices.
(e) The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, shall review pending and proposed wildfire-related litigation involving electrical utility companies to ensure the Department’s positions and proposed resolutions in such matters advance the wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts identified in this order.
Sec. 5. Modernizing Wildfire Prevention and Response.
(a) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of OSTP, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the heads of relevant agencies, shall, as appropriate, identify, declassify, and make publicly available historical satellite datasets that will advance wildfire prevention and response and improve wildfire prediction and evaluation models.
(b) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of
Commerce and the heads of agencies represented at the National Interagency Fire Center, shall:
(i) Identify rules that impede wildfire prevention, detection, or response and consider eliminating or revising those rules, as consistent with applicable law. This consideration and any resulting rulemaking proceedings shall be reflected in the Fall 2025 Unified Regulatory Agenda.
(ii) Develop performance metrics for wildfire response, including metrics related to average response times, annual fuels treatments, safety and cost effectiveness, and other subjects, as appropriate for inclusion in strategic and annual performance plans.
(c) Within 210 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense shall evaluate and, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, prioritize the sale of excess aircraft and aircraft parts to support wildfire mitigation and response.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior in equal shares.
DONALD J. TRUMP
New World Screwworm Domestic Readiness & Response Policy Initiative
The U.S. has defeated NWS before and can successfully do it again
• New World screwworm (NWS) is a devastating pest. When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, people. This is a serious concern to the U.S. economy and the U.S. food supply and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to combatting the spread of NWS to protect American agriculture.
• USDA eradicated NWS from the U.S. in the 1960s, USDA and its partners contained it to South America using sterile insect technology; however, NWS began spreading northward and was detected in southern Mexico in November 2024.
• Mexico has not yet detected NWS in areas located immediately near the U.S. border, but this could change at any time and put Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona at risk.
• Effective eradication strategy centers on three main pillars:
1) effective controls on the movement of animals;
2) strong surveillance systems and public outreach; and
3) the use of proven sterile insect technology and exploration of additional innovative strategies to defeat the pest.
• To achieve success, USDA will work across the federal, state, and local government partners, and with the public and the private sectors to take the following actions as part of its 5-Prong Strategy:
1) Stop the Pest from Spreading in Mexico
• Enhance international sterile fly production with USDA’s recent $21 million spend in Mexico’s production capabilities and renovation of an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico. At full operation, this will provide an additional 60-100 million sterile flies on top of the 100 million flies per week produced at the Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm (COPEG) facility in Panama. The estimated time to completion is 18 months.
• Continue building collaborating with Mexico to contain NWS within its borders – from ongoing daily technical conversations to regular conversations program leaders have with their counterparts in Mexico and throughout the region.
• Break down administrative or regulatory roadblocks. With an inaugural in-person meeting the week of May 20 in Washington, DC and follow-up work in Mexico, APHIS and Mexico are establishing and building upon technical working groups to discuss surveillance and overcome obstacles that impair an effective response.
• Improve Mexico’s surveillance so we know where NWS is and has been and ensure they are reporting as close to real time as possible. APHIS is working closely with Mexico to establish the appropriate surveillance and reporting mechanisms and traveling to Mexico to verify.
• Provide Mexico with NWS traps and lures, and the technical expertise they need to build, deploy, and maintain them effectively and consistently in at-risk areas.
• Collect comprehensive data from Mexico about checkpoint surveillance, detections, inspections and other information that will give us a real-time look at the outbreak in Mexico, allowing us to update our strategies quickly.
• Renew and update existing animal health technical agreements with Mexico and ensure these plans are updated for the current NWS situation.
• Conduct a robust audit of Mexico’s animal health controls. USDA personnel will visit Mexico in person on an as needed basis to observe and support Mexico’s surveillance and eradication efforts to ensure alignment and transparency in the shared goal of NWS eradication.
• Limit the movement of animals, collaborating with Mexico and other partners to determine where we can quickly stop movements and stop the halt the spread.
2) Protect the U.S. Border at All Costs
• Oversee Mexico’s strategic trapping on the southern border as an early warning intervention by ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to conduct this important work and report findings to us.
• Escalate communications and public outreach along the U.S.-Mexico border to create a “barrier zone of vigilance” while boosting awareness of this pest among key audiences across the country. This will include fact sheets targeted to specific audiences, such as hunters; webinars; partnered communications with states, universities, and NGOs; and innovative strategies to ensure this important message gets to farmers, ranchers, and the general public.
• Gather stray and intercept illegally introduced livestock on the border with Mexico in collaboration with U.S. Customs & Border Protection and USDA Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program personnel already in the field.
• Collaborate with state wildlife agencies to identify priority areas for wild/feral animal surveillance and passive wildlife monitoring.
• Ensure the National Veterinary Services Laboratories are ready to test for this pest by conducting training pursuing development of additional testing capabilities.
• Continue enhanced inspection of live animals at ports of entry from Mexico if/when ports are re-opened and regularly reassess the need for these intensive inspections or import requirements.
3) Maximize Our Readiness
• Partner with state animal health officials to update and finalize emergency management plans.
• Ensure awareness of USDA’s existing response plans and guidelines among State animal health officials and other partners for the Federal response to a foreign animal disease.
• Continue training federal and state responders on how to respond to an outbreak, if one occurs in the United States.
• Remove any regulatory hurdles by working with EPA, FDA and others to ensure access to effective wound and treatment products that fall under their jurisdiction.
• Ensure we have sufficient treatments, and while we do not anticipate shortages of therapeutics, prepare to stockpile to backstop any needs while commercial developments accelerate.
• Identify personnel needs for emergency response and put preparations in place for deployment of existing employees and hiring of additional personnel.
• If a domestic detection occurs, USDA will act swiftly to implement a domestic response by immediately notifying state and local partners, evaluating animal movement in the area, isolating the incident, deploying STI resources, and initiating surveillance in the surrounding area.
4) Take the Fight to the Screwworm
• Sterile screwworm flies are one of the most important tools we have for eradicating NWS. We will need more sterile insects than we currently produce to eradicate it.
• Immediately begin building an $8.5 million sterile insect dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in South Texas, which will be completed by the end of 2025. This facility will help protect the U.S. by allowing us to disperse sterile flies at our border and Northern Mexico. The estimated time to completion is six months.
• USDA is exploring all options to eradicate NWS, which includes potential expenditures in new technologies, new science, including possible plans to move forward with the design process of a domestic sterile fly production facility to compliment the new dispersal facility at Moore Air Base, which has also been identified as the proposed location. The facility could boost domestic sterile fly production by up to 300 million flies per week and could compliment current production that already exists in Panama and Mexico.
• Support Mexico’s renovation of its own sterile insect facility with USDA’s recent $21 million spend, which will add between 60-100 million additional sterile flies to our efforts. The estimated time to completion is 18 months.
• Continue to rapidly explore and seek to validate modular rearing facilities and other technologies that may provide quicker construction and surge capacity in the future.
5) Innovate Our Way to Continued Success
• Leverage the sound science including USDA’s Agriculture Research Service (ARS) to continue to quickly develop novel treatments, preventatives, and response strategies.
• Pursue innovative research into improving sterile insect technology in the future. This could include exploring the use of additional or modified strains of the pest or genetically engineered organisms.
• Explore the development of better traps and lures so that we have a better understanding of where the pest is and has been.
• Assess the potential use and practicality of e-beam and other radiation technology for the production of sterile flies. E-beam or other sterilization may offer the future potential to decentralize production facilities and allow for quicker modular expansion.
• Continue meaningful partnerships with states, especially those along the border through our detailed partnership plans.
• Strengthen partnerships with land-grant universities in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. These partnerships can facilitate local training, trap deployment, surveillance validation, and stakeholder outreach.
• Explore next generation treatments for the screwworm with our partners to help producers deal with the effects should it enter the country.
ISSUE BRIEFING:
Public Land Disposal Language in Senate ENR Draft Language for Reconciliation
On June 11, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT) published draft text of the Committee’s portion of the Senate’s proposed reconciliation bill. Subtitle C of the draft text would direct the Secretary of Agriculture and Interior to go through a process to dispose of between 0.5% to 0.75% (maximum of 3,322,500 acres) of the land owned by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), respectively, to address local housing or associated community needs.
THE PROCESS: The Secretaries would solicit nominations of BLM and USFS lands to be disposed within 30 days, consult with Governors, local governments, and Tribes, and publish a list of tracts to be disposed every 60 days thereafter.
ELIGIBLE LANDS: Together, USFS and BLM hold 438 million acres. Not all of these acres are eligible for potential disposal under the draft text. The original draft specifically excluded lands with valid existing rights, including mining claims, grazing permits, mineral leases, and leases or rights-of-way. A subsequent working draft was leaked that eliminated the specific enumeration of 4 protected categories, while retaining the legal term “valid existing rights” during negotiations. “Valid existing rights” is a legal term that protects many existing uses; while the term does not protect grazing permits, negotiations are ongoing and Senate leadership have committed to ensuring the next version of the language specifically protects grazing allotments and permits.
A final version of the Senate’s draft is still under negotiation. Below is a summary of the most common concerns about the evolution of the text so far.
Myth 1: The language calls for sale of 250 million acres.
FALSE. The language limits disposal to 3 million acres, less than 1% of the federal estate.
Myth 2: The language allows for sale of land where grazing permits exist.
FALSE. The June 11 language specifically excludes grazing allotments from disposal. While the language leaked over the weekend didn’t specifically exclude grazing allotments, PLC and NCBA have secured commitments that any updated text will protect grazing allotments.
Myth 3: National parks, national monuments, and prime backcountry lands are at risk.
FALSE. The language specifically says “federally protected land” is not eligible for disposal, including Monuments, National Recreation Areas, Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Trails, Refuges, Fish Hatcheries, National Parks, Memorials, Historic Sites, and more.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Myth 4: This language will allow the federal government to get rid of all federal lands.
FALSE. The draft limits maximum disposal to 3 million acres, and in the 11 Western states where the vast majority of lands in state are owned or managed by federal agencies. This language is also time-limited.
Myth 5: The government can easily dispose of lands, if needed.
MOSTLY FALSE. Many believe that once the federal government owns a piece of land, it should be permanent regardless of emerging community, ecosystem, and economic needs. Federal ownership of land was a last resort – these were lands not homesteaded or identified as useful more than 100 years ago, so Congress gave agencies a series of tools to dispose of lands if needs changed. The Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act and the Recreation and Public Purposes Act both provide for methods for the federal government to dispose of parcels, but disposal rarely happens for a variety of reasons: controversy, lack of funding prioritized, NEPA delays, and more.
Contact: Kaitlynn Glover kglover@beef.org
PLC policy supports disposal of tracts to make land management more contiguous and be responsive to local needs, as long as we see no loss of AUMs and protect grazing access to the landscape.
Contact: Kaitlynn Glover kglover@beef.org
Secretary Rollins Suspends Live Animal Imports Through Ports of Entry Along Southern Border, Effective Immediately
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the suspension of live cattle, horse, and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border due to the continued and rapid northward spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, effective immediately. NWS has been recently detected in remote farms with minimal cattle movement as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles away from the U.S. border.
The United States and Mexico continue efforts to interdict and eradicate NWS in Mexico and work in good faith. However, despite these efforts and the economic impact on both countries due to this action, there has been unacceptable northward advancement of NWS and additional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly. As such, effective immediately, the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in conjunction with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will restrict the importation of live animal commodities originating from, or transiting Mexico. This import suspension will persist on a month-by-month basis, until a significant window of containment is achieved. USDA will continue constant collaboration with Mexico, including a review of latest data and metrics in two weeks. Our teams have been in daily communication discussing how we can build on the good work that has been accomplished to improve our strategy toward eradication. Any livestock currently in holding for entry into the United States will be processed normally, this includes an APHIS port Veterinary Medical Officer inspection exam and treatment to ensure they are not carrying NWS.
“The United States has ordered the suspension of livestock imports through ports of entry along our southern border after the continued spread of the New World Screwworm in Mexico. Secretary Berdegué and I have worked closely on the NWS response; however, it is my duty to take all steps within my control to protect the livestock industry in the United States from this devastating pest,” said Secretary Rollins. “The protection of our animals and safety of our nation’s food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance. Once we see increased surveillance and eradication efforts, and the positive results of those actions, we remain committed to opening the border for livestock trade. This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety.”
Effective eradication, which remains our shared goal and best interest of both the U.S. and Mexico, requires a three-pronged approach: robust active field surveillance with education and outreach to ensure prevention, treatment, and early detection; controlled animal movement to limit spread; and sustained
sterile insect dispersal. Suspending livestock transport through southern ports of entry will assist in the effort to limit northbound transport of NWS through livestock commerce, and will allow the U.S. to reassess whether current mitigation standards remain sufficient. It is important to note the northward spread of NWS is possible through natural wildlife movements, including wildlife that transit the border region without impediment.
USDA is taking all possible actions to monitor for, and limit, the northward movement of NWS, including the utilization of the USDA Tick Riders to monitor livestock and wildlife along the southern border region, between the ports of entry, for the presence of NWS.
The U.S. previously and successfully led the eradication of NWS in the U.S. and Mexico, however this cost billions of dollars and took decades. Unfortunately, these recent detections in Mexico show that this dangerous pest is back and remains a serious threat to the health of our animals, our food supply, and the security of our country.
BACKGROUND
• The first case of NWS in Mexico was reported to the U.S. in November 2024. When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, people.
• In November 2024, after a positive detection of NWS in southern Mexico, USDA shut down the border for live animal trade.
• In February 2025, USDA resumed imports after APHIS and Mexico agreed to and implemented a comprehensive pre-clearance inspection and treatment protocol to ensure safe movement and steps to mitigate the threat of NWS.
• Over the last two years, screwworm has spread north throughout Panama and into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and now Mexico.
• APHIS is releasing sterile flies through aerial and ground release at strategic locations, focusing on Southern Mexico and other areas throughout Central America. A complete list of regions APHIS recognizes as affected by NWS as well as more detailed information on trade restrictions can be found on the USDA APHIS Animal Health Status of Regions website: www.aphis. usda.gov/regionalization-evaluation-services/region-health-status
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“The Cattle Council remains committed to addressing and responding to critical issues at the forefront of the industry.”
There is not one issue currently that draws more emotion from ranchers currently than wolves. The population of wolves and wolf packs continues to grow across California, with wolves present in rural areas up and down the state. Ranchers owning or operating land in and around the presence of wolves have experienced direct loss from depredation, a decline in herd health and body conditions, decreased weight gain, an increase in abortions, or a decrease in the rate of conception, to name a few.
Wolves remain listed as endangered under both the federal Endangered Species Act and the California Endangered Species Act, leaving ranchers, local governments, and law enforcement with a handful of non-lethal options to manage wolf/livestock interactions.
Many of the impacts sustained by ranchers are well known to those in the industry, but were also recently solidified by research conducted by the University of California, Davis. Drs. Tina Saitone and Ken Tate led a multi-year study analyzing and recording wolves’ actual impacts on cattle through motion-activated field cameras, GPS collars, wolf scat analysis, and the collection of cattle hair samples to measure cortisol and stress.
This project was funded by the California Cattle Council, USDA Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Program, and the Russell L. Rustici Rangeland and Cattle Research Endowment.
According to the researchers, the study found:
• One wolf can cause between $69,000 and $162,000 in direct and indirect losses due to decreased conception rates and weight gain.
• Total indirect losses so far from three packs in Northeastern California have resulted in $1.4 million to $3.4 million to ranchers.
• 72% of wolf scat samples collected contained cattle DNA.
• Cortisol levels in hair samples collected from cattle demonstrated a significant increase in stress.
Further details on the study and its findings can be found by visiting the Cattle Council website at www.calcattlecouncil.org/recentworks/research/.
Undoubtedly, this issue continues to raise emotions and significant frustration from those impacted the most. As government and industry stakeholders continue to debate and refine a pathway forward, the Cattle Council will continue to highlight the challenges faced by ranchers through peer-reviewed and published academic research. The Cattle Council remains committed to addressing and responding to critical issues at the forefront of the industry.
Keep involved with what the Council is doing! Follow @CattleCouncil on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay engaged and visit our website to learn about other investments the Council has made: calcattlecouncil.org
RECENT INVESTMENTS
New CalResilient Campaign Video Launches
The latest installment of our CalResilient campaign launched earlier this month. The video features Elizabeth Poett, a seventh-generation cattle rancher, and highlights her efforts to preserve the ecosystem in Santa Barbara County. https://youtu.be/R9IxF1xlCbk?si=O33DprHtGtWVtoxD
More campaign updates and advertisements are in next quarter’s newsletter.
CC Foundation Regulatory Update: Advancing Rancher Priorities Across Key Initiatives
The California Cattlemen’s Foundation (CCF) remains deeply engaged in a range of critical initiatives designed to support and protect California’s cattle producers. From safeguarding grazing lands and advancing food safety to reducing methane emissions and responding to animal health threats, CCF is working to ensure that ranchers’ voices are heard at every level of government. This important work is made possible through the financial support of the California Cattle Council.
Delta Grazing Forum & Ranch Tour Coming Soon
To address the ongoing loss of grazing lands in the Delta region, CCF is working with Western Resource Strategies, the Delta Protection Commission, and UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE). Together, we are planning a Delta Grazing Forum and ranch tour to engage agency officials and stakeholders in meaningful dialogue about protecting and expanding grazing opportunities. This effort is essential to preserving working lands and ensuring future generations of ranchers can thrive.
Enhancing Food Safety via the CAN Initiative
CCF continues its partnership with the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) through the California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) initiative—a collaborative effort to improve food safety by strengthening coordination among cattle producers, produce growers, researchers, and regulators. While work in the Salinas Valley continues, CCF has played a vital role in protecting cattle producers in the Imperial Valley from being adversely affected by future E. coli regulations. These efforts are grounded in education and research. We are confident this initiative will continue to foster a safe and productive environment where farmers and ranchers can work side by side to deliver safe, nutritious food.
H5N1 Response & Industry Readiness
As H5N1 avian influenza remains a concern, CCF has partnered with CDFA to ensure a measured, science-based response that protects herd health while minimizing unnecessary disruption. CCF played a key role in preventing overreaching quarantine measures and preserving the ability to move cattle inand out-of-state. CCF also helped shape CDFA’s H5N1 response policy and continues to advocate for developing a federal vaccine. Moving forward, we will work to ensure any potential vaccine program maintains consumer confidence and avoids trade barriers. This issue will require continued vigilance and collaboration to safeguard herd health and protect the sustainability of family ranches.
Looking Ahead
Throughout 2025, CCF will remain a strong advocate for cattle producers, working alongside CDFA and other partners to address challenges and seize new opportunities. Your investment in the California Cattle Council makes this work possible. Together, we are protecting the ranching way of life with the help of resources we did not have access to before, without the Cattle Council.
Justin Oldfield
* Purebred Merino and Rafter 7 Merino x Rambouillet
* Offering yearling and 2-year-old rams and yearling ewes
* Importing world-class genetics for over 30 years
For more sale information, contact: Scott Huber at 775-544-1163 or shuber@unr.edu or visit naes.unr.edu/gbrec
EXPERIMENT STATION | EXTENSION College of Agriculture,
College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources
Lahontan Elementary’s Ag Fest Cultivates Learning
Article and Photo by Kimi Melendy
Lahontan Elementary School buzzed with excitement on May 8th as it hosted a highly successful Ag Festival, a day dedicated to fostering agricultural awareness and education among students. The event, organized and set up by Ms. Leana Carey, showcased a collaborative effort from various local organizations and individuals, all eager to share their knowledge and passion for agriculture.
The Ag Fest provided an invaluable hands-on learning experience, highlighting the diverse opportunities, careers, and systems that underpin our daily lives, particularly in an agricultural rich region like Fallon. Students were treated to a wide array of engaging exhibits and demonstrations:
• The Department of Agriculture delighted everyone by bringing “Moolisa” the cow, offering an insightful lesson on dairy production.
• The Nevada Farm Bureau rolled in with their popular Ag Wagon, providing interactive displays about farming.
• UNR Meats educated students on the fundamentals of nutrition by teaching about the food pyramid.
• The Plant Science class at Churchill County High School (CCHS) made a significant contribution by donating plants and actively working with students to plant them in the school garden, fostering a sense of responsibility and connection to nature.
• Oasis Desert Spray captivated attendees with a demonstration of drones and their crucial role in modern crop cultivation.
• Alex Manskie and Megan Smith brought a delightful selection of animals for students to pet, offering a direct connection to livestock.
• The Lahontan Cattlewomen provided an illuminating presentation on cattle by-products, emphasizing the extensive uses of agricultural resources.
“It’s wonderful to see so many local organizations and individuals come together to support and share their knowledge about agriculture,” commented Ms. Carey. “It’s important for students and the community to learn about the opportunities, careers, and systems that impact our daily lives, especially in such a hands-on way.”
The Ag Fest at Lahontan Elementary served as a vibrant testament to the power of community engagement in education. By bringing agricultural experts and resources directly to the students, the event successfully cultivated a deeper understanding and appreciation for the agricultural sector and its vital role in our world. The success of this year’s festival promises an even more enriching experience for students in the years to come.
August 9
August 11-12 Cattlemen's Livestock Market Fall Calving Cow Sale Cattlemen's Livestock Market, Galt, CA
July 14-16 Consignment Deadline: July 24, 2025 Little America • Cheyenne, WY
Jamie Lee goes over her displays from the University of Nevada Extension.
Nevada Cattlewomen’s Beef & Wine Paring Event
Join us for an educational event on beef cuts, beef preparation and which wine pairs best with those prepared cuts! At this event you’ll get to sample wines that pair with each prepared cut of meat as well as sample the prepared cut of meat. You will be able to purchase the cuts of meat that are sampled. immediately following the event.
July 26, 2025 at 5:00 pm
Park Home Ranch Venue
1452 SR-88 Minden, NV
Non-Nevada CattleWomen members | $50 per ticket
Nevada CattleWomen members | $40 per ticket
For tickets or more information, please contact Keri Pommerening (775) 721-4888, Rosealee Rieman (775) 901-6524, or Charmi Mitchell (775) 790-3952
Enhanced geothermal systems in the Great Basin could supply 10% of U.S. electricity demand
Provisional assessment shows potential for 135 gigawatts of baseload power - if current tech works at scale in Nevada and 5 adjoining states
By Communications and Publishing
Geothermal energy in the Great Basin of Nevada and adjoining states could produce electricity equal to one-tenth of the current U.S. power supply, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20253027
The projected 10 percent would be a major increase, as geothermal energy currently generates less than 1 percent of the nation’s power supply. The new assessment, which updates a 2008 USGS assessment, depends on widespread commercialscale development and continued successful application of evolving and emerging technologies, many of which have been developed over the past several decades in the geothermal and oil and gas industries.
“USGS assessments of energy resources are about the future,” said Sarah Ryker, acting director of the USGS. “We focus on undiscovered resources that have yet to be fully explored, let alone developed. We launched this work in the Great Basin because of the area’s history of geothermal activity – and we found even more potential for baseload power than had previously been known. Leveraging this work along with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques will help us assess the entire nation’s potential for geothermal energy with greater speed and accuracy.”
Almost all existing geothermal power production comes from hydrothermal systems, in which groundwater naturally circulates through heated rocks. However, there are far more areas where heat is trapped in impermeable rock, where technology is needed to produce geothermal energy. In enhanced geothermal systems, engineers create open fractures in impermeable rock down to 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) below the surface allowing water to circulate and extract heat to generate electricity.
The arid lands of the Great Basin of Nevada and adjoining parts of California, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah were the last part of the lower 48 states to be mapped in the 1800s. Mapping and assessing the geological resources of the public lands of the Great Basin through surveys led by Clarence King and John Wesley Powell led to creation of the USGS in 1879. “Natural resources continue to drive much of the nation’s economy,” Ryker said. “Over our history we have reinvented our techniques for mapping and characterizing resources, and in fact our newest surveys of the subsurface help identify both geothermal and critical mineral resources, and in some cases groundwater.”
The Energy Act of 2020 directed the USGS to assess the entire nation’s potential for geothermal energy. To conduct the assessment the USGS and partners created new heat flow maps, new underground temperature maps, and new methods to estimate energy extraction efficiency and conversion of heat to electricity. Following the Great Basin, the next region to be assessed will be the Williston Basin in North Dakota.
“The new map showing the distribution of enhanced geothermal resources is the culmination of decades of work by the USGS; federal partners, including the Department of Energy; universities and the state geological surveys. The best estimates of available resources reflect the early successes of technology development and application by the geothermal industry,” said Erick Burns, lead author of the assessment.
The assessment finds that with sufficient technological advances in the coming years, there is enough geothermal potential in the Great Basin to meet a large percentage of the nation’s electrical needs. In other words, the heat is there, but greater engineering efficiency is needed to take full advantage of the resource.
Nevada Natural Resource Management Highlighted in 2025 IMAGINE Workshop
By Charlie D. Clements and Dan Harmon
The Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems (IMAGINE), held its 2025 Workshop in Elko, Nevada on June 11 and 12, where challenges in managing annual grasses in northern Nevada were highlighted.
A large part of the vision of IMAGINE is to be pro-active, stay committed and work together in an effort to Defend and Grow the Core. A major point is working on the many challenges that invasive annual grasses such as cheatgrass, medusahead, ventenata and barb goat grass have on western rangelands and that it is important to not only focus on working in areas with little or no annual grass but also working in areas invaded by annual grasses to reverse the current trend. A Core area may be a habitat with very good shrub, perennial grass and forb diversity with little to no invasive annual grasses, or it may
be a habitat that has been highly invaded and yet is critical to wintering mule deer or livestock production. Brian Mealor, professor University Wyoming and IMAGINE Director, Claire Visconti, IMAGINE outreach program coordinator, Paul Meiman, State Extension Specialist for Rangeland Livestock/Wildlife Interaction-University Nevada Cooperative Extension, and Matt Glenn, habitat staff specialist-Nevada Department of Wildlife all did an excellent job of updating and informing the attendees on the mission of IMAGINE and the challenges facing northern Nevada when it comes to invasive annual grasses.
Nearly 70% of the Core big sagebrush plant communities have been lost and converted to annual grass dominance, which has had profound negative impacts on wildlife and sustainable grazing
Figure 1. Former big sagebrush/bunchgrass community converted to cheatgrass dominance. Significant reductions in sustainable grazing and wildlife resources throughout the west are far too common.
resources throughout the western United States (Figure 1).
Case in point, mule deer are the only declining big game species in North America, as a browser, many of these former big sagebrush/bunchgrass communities have been converted to cheatgrass dominance which has resulted in an increase in wildfire frequency and further loss of critical browse communities on transitional and winter ranges that are desperately needed for the very survival of mule deer. With all of the challenges that face managers and landowners on western rangelands, it is critically important to communicate what works and what does not work when managing western rangelands to improve sustainable wildlife and grazing resources.
Following a morning session of introductions and background of Defend and Grow the Core, the group made their way to the field to see first-hand on the challenges invasive annual grasses continue to pose.
The first stop was within a U.S. Forest Service boundary where medusahead had invaded the site more than 20 years prior, resulting in a wildfire that also increased the medusahead infestation and was made apparent the dire need for aggressive management to get this exotic and invasive annual grass under control. The site had not received any herbicide applications and the density of medusahead was quite dense and pronounced. This stop was important, as to compare with the next stop which had received medusahead control treatments.
Tom Barnes, 3rd generation rancher, voiced his concerns over the increase in medusahead over the years (at least 30 years) and his concerns of increased wildfire risks and decrease in nutritional value of the affected rangelands.
In 2019, Rejuvra (indaziflam), an effective preemergent herbicide on annual grasses, was applied at 5 ounce per acre rate. The site was retreated in 2024 with Rejuvra for continued control of medusahead. Rejuvra provides multiple years (3-5 years) control of invasive annual grasses. The release of residual perennial grasses on the treated habitat was lacking though, which encouraged discussion amongst
attendees on the seeding of perennial grasses as a possibility to increase perennial grass densities and diversity.
Tom pointed out that most of the perennial grasses had historically been grazed every spring for years, prior to current management, therefore there were no residual perennial grasses to respond following herbicide applications targeting medusahead. Deep-rooted perennial grasses are the best-known method at suppressing invasive annual grasses for long-term control. Tom also pointed out that “the do nothing approach” only exacerbates the problem and that more needs to be done to curtail the expansion of medusahead and the negative impacts that follow.
Goerge Parker of Morris Ag Air & Sons explained the methodology and challenges of aerially applying herbicides on rangelands, while owner Mike Morris did a field demonstration with a few fly-over passes of adjacent habitat in the presence of the attendees (Figure 2).
The importance of proper calibration, pattern testing, droplet spectrum, air speed, wind and boom-angle were all discussed.
One lesson learned from this demonstration was that Rejuvra applications require about 30-35% more fly time due to smaller swaths than that of
Figure 2. Morris Ag Air & Sons giving a demonstration of aerially applying pre-emergent herbicides to effective and efficiently reduce annual grass densities and associated fuel loads.
the commonly used pre-emergent herbicide Plateau (imazapic). Applications of Plateau are planned for fall application, fallowed for 1-year and then seeded with desirable species the following fall. Plateau herbicide residue is about 12-15 months control, while Rejuvra is much longer.
A very important part that came from this site visit was the apparent partnership between NDOW and the private landowner, Tom Barnes. Their ability to complement each other and build positive partnerships has already paid dividends and is an excellent model for future collaborations and partnerships.
The second day started out with a site visit to an USDA-ARS, Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit, research exclosure near Izzenhood Basin north of Battle Mountain. The site is a typical xeric Wyoming big sagebrush/bunchgrass community that has experienced numerous wildfires resulting in cheatgrass dominance with other weedy species such as Russian thistle and tumble mustard.
ARS (Agricultural Research Service) is the official research arm of USDA. In 2015, ARS was invited on a field tour with BLM, NDOW, UNR and others to discuss the challenges of rehabilitating cheatgrassinfested rangelands and whether there were any tools to combat this situation, and if so how would you go about it. ARS started their demonstration
plots in the fall of 2015 and replicated those plots in 2016 as a reference for land managers and landowners to observe the use of pre-emergent herbicides to successfully control cheatgrass and the importance of proper seed mixes and seeding rates to be successful in rehabilitating/restoring perennial grasses in highly disturbed xeric communities.
Charlie Clements, Rangeland Scientist, and Dan Harmon, Agricultural Research Technician, described to the attendees the application of the pre-emergent herbicide, Landmark (sulfometuronmethyl chlorosulfuron) at 1.75 ounce per acre rate that effectively reduced cheatgrass densities by 98.7%. They pointed out that in the process of applying these demonstration plots that Landmark was pulled from the market, therefore they changed their preference of herbicide to Plateau at a 6 ounce per acre rate.
In these plots they seeded an Introduced Mix, Siberian and crested wheatgrass with ‘Immigrant’ and ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia, Native Mix, ‘Anatone’ bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass
and Sherman big bluegrass, western yarrow and Wyoming big sagebrush, and Native-Introduced Mix, Bluebunch wheatgrass, Siberian wheatgrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, western yarrow and ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia.
Charlie and Dan pointed out the importance of using a Native-Introduced seed mix to hedge your bets during sub-par precipitation years. Demonstration plots between the years revealed that in the 2015-2016 plots (sprayed in 2015 and seeded 2016), the site received a little more than 13 “ of precipitation, 2.4” by late November, and that the majority of seeds of seeded species had germinated and emerged by late November and they believe this early emergence increases root development and is advantageous come late spring/early summer during hot and dry conditions to increase the plants ability to uptake limited available moisture from the soil. In the 2016-2017 plot (sprayed in 2016 and seeded fall 2017) the site received 7.9” with only 0.4” by late November and no sign of emergence of seeded species. This level of precipitation is more common for this site, and under these precipitation
conditions native species performed far less with Sandberg bluegrass being the only native species to consistently establish. Therefore, using the Native/Introduced seed mix allowed for species like Siberian wheatgrass to maintain good densities and provide active cheatgrass suppression.
These successful seedings increased perennial grass densities from less than 50 per acre to more than 100,000 per acre and decreased cheatgrass fuel loads by more than 93% (Figure 3). ARS also pointed out the importance of productive partnerships and communications to improve success rates of rangeland restoration programs.
The group then traveled to the 2017 Roosters Comb Fire that burned 220,000 acres. Tyson Grip, BLM Nevada State Fire Lead, explained to the group that they only have 14 days to put a plan together and during this particular year there were numerous large fires which all need attention, but the reality is that there are limited seed resources and limited time to apply and contract restoration projects. Matt Glenn and Caleb McAdoo, Nevada Department of
Figure 3. This site had burned numerous times and been converted to cheatgrass dominance. USDA-ARS research presented viable options of using effective and efficient weed control practices through the use of pre-emergent herbicides that reduced cheatgrass by 98.7% and resulted in excellent germination, emergence and establishment of perennial grasses as well as reducing cheatgrass fuel loads by 93%
Wildlife, Deputy of Operations, also pointed out that during this significant fire year, critical mule deer winter range habitat had also burned and that the Department and BLM shifted resources to address the concerns of added loss of critical mule deer winter range habitat. These are the decisions that land managers face when trying to achieve stated goals and objectives with limited resources. The habitat that was seeded on the Roosters Comb Fire was a resounding success as the deeprooted perennial grasses in the seed mix performed very well and continue to successfully suppress cheatgrass and reduce the threat of wildfires. The Nevada Department of Wildlife and BLM have developed a highly successful partnership that is a model for others to follow and truly complement each other and improves the level of success on post-fire restoration that is desperately needed to improve wildlife and grazing resources.
The group then traveled to the Dunphy Hills/ Boulder Valley area where Chris Jasmine, Manager of Biodiversity and Rangelands for Nevada Gold Mines, and James Stuart, Ranch Manager for
Nevada Gold Mines, discussed the use of targeted grazing to reduce cheatgrass fuel loads (Figure 4). The example that they showed us was an 18 mile long strip about 300 years wide aided with fencing, water and supplements that resulted in a reduction in cheatgrass continuity, height and overall fuel loads that helped firefighters knock back an advancing wildfire and prevented further loss of habitat. They also pointed out the importance of the use of a specific type of livestock to a specific time and duration of intensity to reach a stated outcome. This all has to factor in the overall management of cattle as the livestock operation needs to produce healthy animals and take into consideration the animal’s ability to travel for water, etc., while also maintaining health.
James pointed out that during dormant season grazing, protein supplements are used to maintain the health of the stock. The use of cattle to target cheatgrass has shown positive results in reducing carry-over fuel as well as targeting cheatgrass in the spring prior to the wildfire season. Tyson Gripp also pointed out his experience with targeted grazing
Figure 4. Chris Jasmine and James Stuart discuss the use of targeted grazing to reduce cheatgrass fuel loads and wildfire threats on the TS Ranch allotment in northeastern Nevada.
and how fire personnel have commented on the decrease in flame length and fuel continuity within targeted grazing areas.
The IMAGINE group is doing a very good job of touring on-the-ground experiences when managing habitats invaded by annual grasses. The focus on seeing firsthand what works and what does not work when it comes to managing invasive annual grasses will provide land managers and property owners with the necessary information to make informed decisions that will ultimately benefit rangelands and reduce the negative impacts associated with invasive annual grasses.
Improved partnerships and collaborations among the numerous federal, state and local governments as well as private landowners will be critical in implementing successful rangeland management projects, which was on display during the IMAGINE 2025 Workshop.
4-H offers
summer
camps to keep youth engaged and learning
Extension offers overnight and day camps
As the school year comes to a close, University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program is offering overnight and day camps throughout the state to keep youth engaged, learning and having fun throughout the summer. Preteens and teens in southern Nevada have the opportunity to take part in three different camps at Extension’s Nevada 4-H Camp in Alamo, Nevada, located 100 miles north of Las Vegas. This 72-acre facility gives youth the opportunity to get out of the city to do some stargazing, nature exploration and STEM activities; and to learn about healthy, physical activities, such as survival skills, expressive arts and more.
Nevada 4-H Camp in Alamo, 4-H Teen Camp, June 2 – 5
Open to Clark County teens in grades 9-12 for the 2025/26 school year. Camp registration fee of $195 includes transportation from Las Vegas to Alamo, lodging and meals. Registration is open until May 23, or until spots are filled. Partial scholarships are available upon request.
4-H Preteen Camp 2025, June 30 – July 2
Open to Clark County youth in grades 6-8 for the 2025/26 school year. Camp registration fee of $155 includes transportation from Las Vegas to Alamo, lodging and meals. Registration is open until June 16, or until all spots are filled.
Arts and Leadership 4-H Teen Camp, July 21 – 23
Open to teens in grades 9-12 for the 2025/26 school year. Camp registration fee of $140 includes transportation from Las Vegas to Alamo, lodging and meals. Registration is open until June 27, or until spots are filled. Additionally, teens throughout the state have an unparalleled opportunity for outdoor environmental education that also features STEM-related, hands-on learning activities at Extension’s Nevada 4-H Camp Tahoe located at Stateline. This camp will focus on building leadership skills while exploring the great outdoors, building confidence and making new friends.
Nevada 4-H Camp at Tahoe, 4-H Teen Leadership Camp Tahoe, June 11 – 14
Open to teens ages 13-18. Camp registration fee of $215 includes meals, snacks, lodging, educational materials and a camp T-shirt. Registration is open until May 27; to register email damonk@unr.edu.
For youth too young for the overnight camps, the 4-H Program in Clark County is offering two weeks of day camps packed with hands-on activities where campers will explore cooking, baking, STEAM activities, and cultural arts and crafts in a supportive, exciting environment.
4-H Day Camp in Las Vegas at the main Extension office in Clark County Where Summer Sparks Curiosity!
July 21 – 24 and July 29 – 31
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Open to youth ages 9-12. Camp registration fee is $20, includes both weeks, and covers the cost of supplies. Lunch and snacks are not provided. Campers must register for both weeks. Registration opens on June 2. For more information about the camps in Alamo and Las Vegas, email cc4-h@unr.edu. For more information about the Nevada 4-H Camp in Tahoe, email Kenny Haack-Damon at damonk@unr.edu. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should contact Paul Lessick, civil rights and compliance coordinator, at plessick@unr.edu or 702-257-5577 at least five days prior to the scheduled event with their needs or for more information.
The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority was established in 2005 to proactively address water issues in the Central Region, the largest of Nevada's 14 hydrographic regions. CNRWA formulates and presents a united position on water-related issues; monitors, assesses and responds to water projects that may adversely impact a member county; implements a groundwater monitoring program and encourages citizen participation in water-related issues. CNRWA’s nine member counties are: Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Nye, Pershing, and White Pine.
MISSION STATEMENT | To prepare communities in central and eastern Nevada for sound water-resource decisions that promote prosperous economies and strong civic institutions in a healthy natural environment. For more information, please contact:
Youth practice their archery skills at Nevada 4-H Camp Alamo.
Photo by Yaritza Ileana Morales.
If you’re looking to sell a farm or ranch, give us call!
Fish Creek Ranch in Eureka Co.
Offering a 50% interest in the Deeded Fish Creek Ranch with all the Ag use to the buyer. Lots of irrigation water from springs that arise on the ranch. Mine owner wants to reserve some water rights and Sage Grouse Credits. 2597 deeded with approx. 1000 water righted out of the springs, 5 homes plus multiple other barns, shops and outbuildings. Price: $3,000,000
Humboldt River Acreage with Water Rights
650 acres on the Humbold River with over 300 acres of surface water rights. Just East of Elko approx. 13 miles. Has access onto the Ryndon Exit. With the new conjunctive management of water by the state, this should add future value to this property. Price : $1,200,000
Paul Bottari, Broker ALC 775-752-0952
NV Broker License No B015476 BottariRealty.com • 775-752-3040
Steiner and Newman Shine Once Again at Battle Born Broncs in Fallon
The dust settled and the scores soared at the 2025 Battle Born Broncs in Fallon, Nevada, where the top names in bareback and saddle bronc riding threw down big rides in front of a packed house at the PRCA Xtreme Broncs event.
This year marked a key change for the event as it moved from its traditional June date to April, aligning with the Red Bluff Round-Up weekend—and the results spoke for themselves. The new timing was a hit with contestants, stock contractors, vendors, rodeo fans, and the leaders at the Churchill County 3C Complex, bringing fresh energy and strong attendance to Fallon early in the season.
The week was made even more impactful through a collaborative lineup of events that showcased the future of rodeo alongside its legends. The PRCA Youth Camp sponsored in part by the City of Fallon, Battle Born Boots and the Silver State Stampede held in the indoor arena, featured a panel discussion with World Champions, Luke Branquinho, Kaycee Feild, and Cody Custer, drawing young athletes from across the region. At the same time, the Fallon High School Rodeo Club hosted its annual rodeo in the outdoor arena, creating a unique environment where youth competitors, college coaches, and professional athletes came together to help aspiring rodeo stars. It was a game-changing weekend—a rare opportunity that inspired the next generation and their families, and strengthened the bridge between high school and collegiate rodeo members and the professional ranks.
In the bareback riding, Rocker Steiner delivered a dominating 89-point ride aboard Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ Sozo, claiming the top spot and taking home $7,924—along with his second Con Williams Bronze, Battle Born Boots and an American Hat awarded to the champion of the event. Nick Pelke followed close behind with an 86.5-point effort for $6,075, and Cooper Cooke scored 86 to pocket $4,490. Kade Berry (85 points) and Jess Pope (84.5) rounded out the top five.
In saddle bronc riding, the championship was shared in spectacular fashion. Sage Newman, riding Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic Nation, and Australian bronc rider Darcy Radel, aboard Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ The Black Tie, each posted 88.5-point rides to tie for first and collect $7,025 apiece. Newman, a previous Fallon winner, earned his second Con Williams Bronze, while Radel celebrated his first Fallon title. In true cowboy fashion—and with the crowd on its feet—the two champions settled the bragging rights with a leg wrestling tie-breaker, where Radel came out on top taking the bronze, sending the crowd into a roar and closing the night on a high note.
Fan favorites Lefty Holman (86.5), Brody Cress and Ben Andersen (86), Damian Brennan and Q Taylor (84.5), and Zachary Dallas (84) filled out a deep and talented leaderboard.
The total event payout reached $52,922, with elite stock provided by Burch Rodeo, Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics, and King Rodeo Company.
Battle Born Broncs presented by The City of Fallon and Mayor Ken Tedford once again proved why it’s one of the most anticipated bronc matches of the year—where tradition, talent, and a little cowboy grit create a one-of-a-kind Western experience.
Just over $5,700 was raised this year through live and silent auctions to benefit the Trenten Montero Foundation and youth rodeo in Nevada.
VIP tables were completely sold out in 2025 making for a packed and energized atmosphere throughout the night. Businesses and fans looking to be part of the 2026 event are encouraged to act early. Sponsorship opportunities are now available by contacting Darcie Spero at BattleBornDarcie@gmail.com or 775-741-9780. General Admission tickets will go on sale later this year. See BattleBornBroncs. com for details.
Nevada Department of Agriculture urges public to protect household pets
The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) Animal Disease Laboratory has confirmed two positive cases of rabies in bats within the state since the beginning of the year. Positive detections occurred in Big Brown bats in Carson City and Washoe County.
Bats are indigenous to Nevada, with their activity increasing during the months of May through October. On average, the Animal Disease Laboratory confirms between 10 and 20 cases of bat rabies annually. While rabies can occur in other wildlife species, bats are the primary source for transmission to humans and domestic animals, making it important to keep pets current on their vaccinations and preventing any contact with wildlife.
“Maintaining up-to-date rabies vaccinations for pets is extremely important this time of year,” said NDA State Veterinarian Peter Rolfe DVM. “Vaccinating dogs and cats not only safeguards the health of these animals but also provides a vital layer of protection for their owners. Unvaccinated animals exposed to rabies face mandatory euthanasia, highlighting the necessity of consistent vaccination.”
Nevada state law mandates current rabies vaccination for dogs, cats and ferrets. Vaccinations are also available for certain species of livestock. Animal owners are urged to work with their veterinarians to establish and maintain a vaccination schedule for their animals.
Bats can enter and exit homes undetected. Any bat, dead or alive, that may have been in contact with people or domestic animals should be reported immediately. It is crucial that individuals contact their local animal control agency before attempting to pick up a bat.
“If you or your animals have had contact with any bats, contact your local healthcare professional or veterinary provider immediately,” advised Dr. Rolfe.
Individuals can learn more about rabies and the proper steps to take in the case of a possible exposure on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov/rabies, or through Northern Nevada Public Health or Southern Nevada Health District.
Dairy and poultry exhibition bans lifted June 1
Important information for Poultry and Dairy Cattle Exhibition Organizers and Managers
Although Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been detected across Nevada since last November, the most recent outbreak has plateaued, with no new detections in the state during the past two months. All northern Nevada premises have been cleared of quarantine. Given this current trend in Nevada concerning HPAI, the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) is lifting the ban on Nevada poultry and dairy shows.
Effective June 1, 2025, the ban on all Nevada poultry (birds and eggs) and dairy cattle exhibitions at fairs and shows will be lifted.
Nevada horse owners urged to update vaccinations before mosquito season
The NDA monitors for West Nile Virus to safeguard horse and human health
The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) is reminding horse owners to vaccinate their animals against West Nile Virus (WNV) as mosquito populations increase with the warm weather. This mosquito-borne disease can severely impact a horse’s brain, spinal cord and nervous system. The disease is also a transmittable to humans.
“While clinical signs of WNV may not appear until late summer or fall, now is the time to vaccinate,” advises NDA State Veterinarian Peter Rolfe, DVM. He recommends working with a veterinarian to develop an effective prevention plan that includes timely vaccinations and mosquito control measures.
“Simple steps like minimizing stagnant water around barns and homes, and using effective deterrents can significantly reduce mosquito populations,” said Dr. Rolfe.
The NDA recommends eliminating mosquito-breeding sites including standing water, using insect repellents, and vaccinating horses against WNV and Equine Encephalitis.
“We actively monitor mosquito populations statewide for diseases like WNV,” said NDA Animal Disease Laboratory Supervisor Laura Morrow. “The NDA Animal Disease Laboratory provides crucial data to public health agencies and protects Nevada’s agricultural community.”
Currently, WNV and Equine Encephalitis have not been detected in Nevada this year. WNV and Equine Encephalitis are reportable diseases in Nevada, meaning detections must be reported to the NDA. Suspected or confirmed cases of WNV should be reported to the NDA Animal Disease Lab at 775-353-3709 or diseasereporting@agri.nv.gov. Take action now to help protect your horses and public health.
With the termination of the ban on Nevada poultry and dairy shows, the NDA stresses the importance of management to implement heightened biosecurity measures while hosting shows and exhibitions. The decision whether to host poultry and dairy shows will be left to the show management. The NDA would also like to remind all dairy and poultry producers to continue to maintain strict biosecurity practices on their farms and premises to avoid contracting this devastating disease. HPAI can be easily transmitted from contaminated equipment, vehicles, shoes and clothing. It is also important to report any cases of increased mortality in poultry and clinical symptoms in dairy cattle promptly to your veterinarian and the NDA State Veterinarian’s office at diseasereporting@agri.nv.gov to ensure prompt testing can be completed to prevent additional spread.
It is important to remember although Nevada has seen a lessening of new cases recently, HPAI is still present in the U.S. and likely to persist for some time moving forward. Thank you for your cooperation with our continued efforts to control this disease within Nevada and helping to protect our animal industry.
By Peter Rolfe, DVM | State Veterinarian | Nevada Department of Agriculture
NEVADA FFA FOUNDATION
96th Annual Convention Report
The weather in Reno was perfect when 647 Nevada FFA students arrived to kick off the 96th annual convention!
The list of competitions and awards is lengthy in our 2025 Awards Booklet, but some earned highest recognitions: 37 students received State Degrees
10 received American FFA Degrees
11 Honorary State FFA Degrees were awarded
Outstanding Chapter Program of Activities: Virgin Valley FFA
Superior Chapters: Churchill County FFA, Diamond Mountain FFA, Silver Sage FFA – with Diamond Mountain advancing to Nationals Scholarships Recipients: Whitney Walters (Carson Valley FFA), Afton Sampson (Silver Sage FFA) and Shelby Senecal (Silver Sage FFA)
Special thanks go to all our volunteers, teachers and chaperones for making the week possible! A number of businesses also helped ensure that YOU ARE NEXT went from a vision to reality: Special thanks goes to our Centennial Partner, American AgCredit Convention Sponsors:
Nevada Gold Mines | UNR College of Ag, Biotechnology & Natural Resources
Nevada Dream Tags | i80 Gold
Kinross Gold | City of Fallon Anderson Dairy | Fall River Brewing Gallagher Ford | Silver Creek Ranch Freeport Freight Systems | Nevada Dairy Farmers | PerforMix Nutrition McMullen, McPhee & Company LLC
Wells Auto & Hardware | NCA | 3 QS
Cattle Series, Melinda & James Filippini FN’A Hay, Andrea & Fiona Goettle
To view the numerous individual contributors, visit our Sponsors Page: https://nvaged.com/participate/stateconvention/sponsors/?blm_aid=9946179
We also said thank you and farewell to our 2024-2025 State Officers:
Caitlyn Dock, President (Churchill County FFA), Kathlyn Smith, Vice President (Silver Sage FFA), Julian Sosa, Secretary (Battle Mountain FFA), Nia Kawasaki, Treasurer (West Tech FFA), Melanie Burnett, Reporter (Capitol FFA), Divine Jacobson, Sentinel (Battle Mountain FFA)
Executive Director’s Convention Shout Out!
One of the best sounds is the gavel tap at the final convention session. “We did it! We survived! I cannot wait to go to bed.” Those are the internal thoughts of many of the people who lead the behind-thescenes portions of the annual convention. There are some specific people who have been working diligently since December to ensure the convention was a success.
Session Crew: This year past state officer Lander Smith led the state officers in developing scripts, managing practices and conducting the sessions. He is also the person behind our social media posts. Our audio-visual crew included Eddie Morrow and Stacie Bogdanowicz.
Competitive Event Crew: Rashel Clark from the NDA is the newest member of our team. Her willingness to learn and follow through was greatly appreciated. Past state officer and intern Gabby Minoletti was definitely the MVP as she wrote tests, helped us prepare each contests’ many details and led numerous competitive events. Retired agriculture teacher Denise O’Toole might have the most stressful job as she manages the scoring system. She is instrumental in having results to announce at the sessions.
Additional State Staff: Thank you to Krissy Carey for leading Horse Evaluation, jumping in as needed, and ensuring a strong connection between the Nevada Department of Education and Agricultural Education/FFA. Kris Kirkpatrick led the fundraising effort. She continues to bring in new sponsors and educate people about our amazing students, teachers and programs.
I am also thankful for the over 50 volunteers who help judge and manage the numerous events and activities that are part of the convention. If you would like to be added to our volunteer list for future conventions, please fill out the form. I am humbled and grateful to work with so many amazing people.
-Heather Dye
THE LEADERSHIP TRIPLE THREAT:
Meet our 2025-26 State Officers
We caught up with the incoming state officers at their Base Camp Leadership Training in April, and learned more about what they hope to bring to Nevada in the coming year.
What compelled you to take a leadership role in Nevada FFA?
Max: In my junior year, I saw a career path for myself in FFA. Thanks to my Career
Development Event and Leadership Development Event experiences, my confidence grew and I knew I had to go full circle for Nevada. Through my classes I’ve learned that there are often risks, but finding the courage to take a chance is incredible.
Liam: FFA offers so many leadership opportunities, and I really value what leadership stands for in this organization. Sure, there are challenges – but this is my time to give back to Nevada by promoting each Zone and the state overall.
Madison: I’m not from an ag background at all – I grew up in urban neighborhoods in Sanger and Clovis, California. But I really liked animals, decided to be a veterinarian, and my high school agriculture teachers (in Nevada) encouraged me on a path to my goals. Thanks to them, I know what I’m going to do and now I want to help give other students that same gift.
What excites you most about your coming year?
Liam: We get to visit chapters in the southern and western zone this year! And, because we each have different career paths, at least one of us will be able to relate to the schools we visit. I’m focused on Ag Mech, Maddie is Animal Science, and Max is in Plant Science – a leadership trifecta!
Max: Everything I’ve done has shown me that what you put into an SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience), a class, or a project is equal to what you get out. I am looking forward to helping chapters discover where they can find opportunities for growth and expanding ag literacy. Ag is everywhere, and since most kids don’t live on farms or ranches, It’s exciting to share that.
Madison: We grow individually in FFA, which helps the Chapter grow, which helps the State grow. I’m really excited by what we can achieve, especially with our different areas of interest.
What do you want students – those in FFA and those who should be – know about what FFA can do for them?
Madison: What I’ve learned is that you never know what will spark your interest, so take a chance – it’s going to help you grow and you don’t want to miss the unexpected.
Max: I’m excited to see how our teamwork develops. We’ve already grown through our time in FFA, but I suspect that the three of us will continue to grow both personally and as a team. We will discover ways that our different areas of interest strengthen the state FFA, and we’ll learn how blending our unique skills develops us individually.
Liam: Each one of us wants to make a lasting impact on Nevada FFA. The next year is going to be a wild ride, so join us –be part of the adventure!
PORTING CLAY SHOOT FUNDRAISER
SAVE THE DATE! Our Gardnerville shoot will be September 13
Shoot for Blue, Aim for Gold at our Eureka shoot on June 7. This year’s theme is Gangsters & Mafia. The shoot is a great way for supporters and alumni to support Nevada FFA. During this fun-filled day, supporters can expect good shooting on a great course, a delicious trip tip lunch, a loaded raffle, and some sweet gear all while soaking up the beauty and charm that Eureka has to offer! Don’t wait, this event fills up fast! We are always looking for overall event sponsors. Learn more at Sporting Clay Shoot – Eureka – Nevada Agricultural Education.
NEW OFFICERS ELECTED
Just as the student leadership changes, so does the Foundation Board! At the May meeting, the Board elected the following to take office on July 1:
President: Dean Maga, Freeport Freight
Vice President: Amanda (Vesco) Hutchings*, Fall River Brewing
Secretary: Sarah Stallard, Las Vegas Livestock
Treasurer: Amber Smyer*, University of Idaho/Nevada FFA Alumni Representative
Rounding out the Board are:
Stefan Alger*, Immediate Past President Kelly Barnes, Barnes Ranches
Zack Bunyard*, American AgCredit
Giovanni Diaz*, New York Life
Troy Jordan*, Esq, DETR Matt Miller, Nevada Gold Mines
Christa Sneddon, Boulder City
Max Bushey*, NV FFA Assoc. State President
Kristina Carey*, NV Department of Education
Jenifer Sexson*, NV Ag Teachers Association
Special thanks to Jason Becker, Carl Sarman*, Paul Mathews*, and Vance DeMars*, whose terms expired in 2025.
* FFA Alumni
President’s Desk
As we move through May, the energy from last month’s Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. continues to carry us forward. The Public Lands Council’s strength has always come from its people— and that was on full display in
April. The conversations we had, the relationships we strengthened, and the priorities we advanced are already making an impact.
This month, we’re building on that momentum. I’m pleased to share that we’ve officially launched our new committee structure—a major step forward in making our policy process more efficient and more inclusive. Alongside this, we’ve welcomed a dynamic group of committee leaders who bring deep experience and a strong commitment to the issues that matter most to public lands ranchers.
These committees aren’t just boxes on an org chart— they’re where the real work happens. Whether your focus is on endangered species, water policy, or federal land management, there’s a place for you to contribute. Our new leadership is already hard at work, ensuring that PLC remains a proactive, solutions-driven voice in every policy conversation.
Meanwhile, the regulatory landscape continues to shift. New proposals and rulemakings are coming fast, and we’re staying vigilant. Our team is tracking developments, submitting comments, and making sure your voice is heard where it counts. This is a marathon, not a sprint—but we’re in it together.
May is a demanding time on the ranch, and I know many of you are deep into branding, calving, and prepping for summer turnout. Please remember to take care of yourselves and your crews. The work you do every day is the foundation of everything we fight for in D.C.
We’ve accomplished a lot already this year—but there’s more ahead. Let’s keep pushing.
Tim Canterbury PLC President
Association Update
May in Washington, D.C. is truly something special—sunny skies, mild temperatures, and that perfect “just right” weather that makes you want to spend every moment outdoors. And just like the season, things are heating up at PLC as we gear up for a busy and impactful summer.
Over the coming months, PLC staff and leadership will be hitting the road, traveling across the West to connect with many of our affiliates. These visits are a vital part of our work—listening to your concerns, sharing updates from Washington, and strengthening the ties that make our community so resilient. We’re looking forward to seeing many of you in person and continuing the important conversations that drive our mission forward.
Back here in D.C., we’re thrilled to welcome our two summer interns: Brittley Bowers from Texas and Grace Steenbergen from Wyoming. Both bring strong ranching backgrounds and a passion for public lands to the team. In the weeks ahead, you’ll be hearing more from them as they introduce themselves and begin contributing to our work. We’re excited for the energy and perspective they’ll bring to PLC this summer.
Lastly, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the past two years with PLC. This edition of Capital Issues will be my last, as I’ve made the difficult decision to embark on a new chapter in my professional journey.
Leaving is never easy, especially when you’ve been part of something as meaningful as this. PLC has shaped me in countless ways—preparing me not only for the road ahead but also enriching me with experiences and lessons I’ll carry for a lifetime. From day one, I was welcomed into a team of passionate, dedicated individuals who care deeply about the future of public lands ranching. Working with such talented staff, visionary leadership, and committed members has been an honor. Together, we’ve tackled challenges, celebrated wins, and stayed true to the values that make this organization so impactful.
I’m especially grateful for the trust and support I’ve received throughout my time here. Whether it was contributing to our association’s efforts, engaging with stakeholders, or simply learning from the wisdom of those around me, every moment has been a steppingstone toward growth.
To each of you—thank you. Thank you for your collaboration, your encouragement, and your friendship. Please know that while I may be moving on, I’m not going far. You’ll always have an advocate in your corner, a friend in the industry, and someone who’s just a phone call away.
It has truly been a privilege to serve the public lands ranching community. I look forward to staying connected and cheering on PLC’s continued success from afar.
Will Baugh | wbaugh@beef.org PLC Associate Director
From the Desk of the Executive Director
In keeping with the themes from the year so far, May was a month filled with a multitude of Congressional negotiations and fast-paced administrative overhauls of federal rules.
For 2025, PLC leadership and stakeholders made clear that they expected us to achieve big
things - durable things - for our members. There’s no question our carefully crafted strategy is working.
PLC’s three-fold approach to roll back the BLM Public Lands Rule is nearing completion as OIRA finalizes their review of the rule to rescind the problematic regulation.
PLC saw legal victories in our litigation related to two Endangered Species Act cases, as well as the late-breaking SCOTUS decision that confirms what we’ve known to be true for decades: NEPA has grown too wieldy, too speculative, and far too uncertain for end users. As PLC helps the administration to set new NEPA expectations and helps Congress to reform the permitting process, the direction from SCOTUS is immensely helpful.
PLC is forging new partnerships to build a stronger future for public lands, from new technology companies investing in wildfire relief to coalitions newly engaged in range health, there are many opportunities to grow the coalition of those who want to protect public lands ranching far into the future.
We have exciting news coming on several longterm research investments and communications initiatives, so stay tuned on social media, your favorite western radio station, or wherever you find your best (PLC-related) news.
Here’s to easy brandings, smooth summer turnouts, and warmer weather that’s broken up with a rainstorm or two.
Kaitlynn Glover | kglover@beef.org PLC Executive Director
Policy Update
With Memorial Day weekend here, we take a moment to remember and honor the brave men and women who lost their lives in service to our great nation. Their sacrifice not only highlights the freedoms we enjoy but also underscores our responsibility to protect the values they fought to uphold.
May has been a busy month in DC. We have been diligently working to ensure that public lands ranchers remain a key focus in national discussions.
PLC submitted comments on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposals to classify the Monarch Butterfly as a Threatened Species. Our feedback also addressed the Section 4(d) Rule and the designation of Critical Habitat. We also provided input on the establishment of a New Distinct Population Segment and a Revised 4(d) Rule for the Grizzly Bear.
We also joined the National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition in commenting on the proposed revision to the definition of “Harm” under the ESA. We commend the admin for aligning regulatory language with statute and support this step toward more effective, grounded policymaking.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who shared their perspectives to help shape our comments—your input is essential. Decisions like these must reflect the realities on the ground, and PLC is proud to be your voice in the regulatory process.
There has been significant progress regarding nominations. From Senate Committee hearings to committee approvals, we saw movement on eight nominees, each bringing essential experience and insight for their respective roles. The confirmation of Kate MacGregor as Deputy Secretary of the Interior was a major achievement. We strongly supported her nomination and consistently highlighted the importance of filling key leadership positions with qualified individuals who understand the value of working lands. Her bipartisan confirmation is a promising sign of momentum.
Not only did we gain momentum with nominations, but we also participated in important discussions about wildfire preparedness and stressed to Congress the need to address these issues. The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations conducted a hearing focused on protecting communities in the wildland-urban interface. We have emphasized the importance of utilizing all available tools to tackle the wildfire crisis to both Congress and the Administration.
This month, we collaborated with the Congressional Western Caucus to advocate for targeted grazing measures as Secretary Rollins addresses our forest
service lands. Through these conversations, we have not only garnered support for the issue but also highlighted its significance. We appreciate lawmakers’ emphasis on practical and proactive land management, and we will continue to advocate for the necessary resources and reforms to effectively address the wildfire crisis.
Speaker Johnson and House Republicans celebrated a significant victory as we wrap up the month with the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” We closely monitored the entire process and its impact on federal lands, from the markup by the House Natural Resources Committee to the final vote. I want to note for those who reached out with questions, the amendment allowing the sale of certain public lands in Nevada and Utah was not included in the final version of the legislation. The passage of this legislation concludes the reconciliation process in the House for now, and as we move into June, all eyes will be on the Senate.
As we turn the page on May and look toward summer, PLC remains committed to being voice for public lands ranchers. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!
Garrett Edmonds | gedmonds@beef.org PLC Director
PLC Announces New Policy Committee Leadership
President Canterbury announced new committee leadership and a restructured committee allocation this month. Huge thanks (and congratulations!) to all of our new leaders!
Grazing Committee
Chair: Brian DeGanahl, Arizona
Vice Chair: Ty Checketts, Wyoming
Wildlife Committee
Chair: Jeff Dawson, Washington
Vice Chair: John O’Keeffe, Oregon
Multiple Use Committee
Chair: Perri Jacobs, Montana
Vice Chair: Bronson Corn, New Mexico
Industry Issues Committee
Chair: Nate Thompson, Utah
Vice Chair: Dr. David Daley, California
If you want to join a committee or confirm your participation, please contact us at kglover@beef.org
PLC 57th Annual Meeting
The PLC 57th Annual Meeting will be September 16-18, 2025, in Flagstaff, Arizona! As we look ahead to the fall, we are excited to be heading to the Grand Canyon State, land of saguaro cacti, turquoise, and bolo ties! Our Annual Meeting will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Flagstaff. We will have a robust lineup of activities, speakers, and events this year, and you won’t want to miss out! Saddle up and get ready for a fun week in Arizona!
Registration is now open for Annual Meeting! Earlybird pricing for Full Registration is good through August 15, 2025. You can find the registration portal through the link in our socials or here: publiclandscouncil.org/events/annual-meeting
Sponsorships: Interested in being a sponsor for Annual Meeting? We have a full package of options just for you! You can find our Sponsorship Package on our social media or by visiting our website here: publiclandscouncil.org/events/annual-meeting
For further information or questions, please contact Kaitlynn Glover at kglover@beef.org.
Register for the Pacific Pastures National Grazing Lands Bus Tour!
Join NatGLC for an unforgettable grazing tour this summer in the Pacific Northwest! The tour will bring together producers and agriculture industry professionals and showcase the stunning landscapes of the PNW. The event will feature an immersive experience that showcases innovative farming practices, sustainable ranching techniques, and the region’s unique character. Tour participants are eligible for a $945 Rancher Resilience Grant through the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. This is a non-competitive grant opportunity and will cover the majority of the costs associated with our event. Spots are limited, so don’t miss your chance to join NatGLC June 10- 13, 2025, in Richland, Washington!
REGISTER NOW HERE: www.grazinglands.org/pacificpastures
UNR researchers predict improved water yields after forest thinning
Runoff increases by 8% to 14% from thinned forests during drought years when it’s needed most
snow and rain that reaches the ground is more likely to feed water to streams.
At the same time, removal of some large trees reduces the demand for water. Fewer trees, after all, require less water, and thus runoff increases.
While forest managers long have viewed increased water yields as a side benefit of forest-thinning operations that have focused on reducing forest fire risk, the computer models applied by Harpold and Boardman present a nuanced look at the complexities involved.
Forest Service is assessing the potential markets for water supply, wood products and carbon storage that could financially support forest-thinning operations.
Thinner forests, in turn, are viewed by leaders of the Tahoe Central Sierra Initiative as a key element in the reduction of risks from high-severity wildfires in the many forests that are overgrown today as the result of more than a century of fire-suppression efforts.
Thinning of forests, generally undertaken to reduce dangers from wildfire and restore the forest to a more natural state, also can create more mountain runoff to mitigate drought effects in the central Sierra Nevada region that relies on snowpack.
In fact, researchers from the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources at the University of Nevada, Reno found that the quantity of additional water produced by thinned forests can be so significant that it might provide further incentive for forest managers to undertake prescribed burning or treeremoval using heavy equipment and hand crews with chainsaws.
Water yields from thinned forests can be increased by 8% to 14% during drought years, found the study undertaken by Adrian Harpold, an associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, and Elijah Boardman, a doctoral student in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences. Harpold, who also conducts research as part of the College’s Experiment Station, is principal investigator of the study funded by the U.S. Forest Service and recently published in Water Resources Research.
That increased water would be particularly valuable, especially in drought years, to farmers and cities in central California and northern Nevada who rely on Sierra snowpack for much of their water supply. The new research doesn’t delve into financial considerations but focuses exclusively on the amounts of water generated by thinned forests.
Complex factors affect water yield
When forests are thinned, either through prescribed burning or mechanical removal, less rain and snow is intercepted and lost in the tree canopy, and more reaches the ground, Boardman said. Snow and rain captured by the tree canopy is likely to evaporate, while
For instance, Boardman noted that even though removal of trees reduces some of the demand for water, plants in the forest understory (bushes, grasses and other small plants) often thrive when larger competitors are removed. The understory, in turn, requires more water after thinning operations, although not as much as the amount required by large trees. Thus, not all the snow and rain that reaches the ground when larger trees are removed will necessarily translate into more runoff.
At the same time, the research found that largescale flooding risks don’t increase significantly even when thinned forests yield more water. Some small infrastructure such as road culverts might be affected by greater localized runoff, but the large reservoirs such as the Oroville Dam that nearly failed from flooding in 2017 show low sensitivity to the forest restoration efforts.
The origins of the research project go back to Harpold’s involvement in the Tahoe West Project with the U.S. Forest Service, which eventually led to the opportunity to expand to a regional scale.
Harpold approached Mark Wigmosta at the Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory about collaborating around his hydrological simulation model. The project led to hiring Boardman who, Harpold said, ultimately “did all the work.” For example, to sort through the millions of simulations needed to make predictions in different scenarios for large river basins — the Truckee, American, Bear and Yuba — into the next 100 years of changing climate, Boardman took advantage of the Pronghorn HighPerformance Computer Cluster in the University’s Office of Information Technology. Despite the technical challenges, Boardman said he is using the analytical tools used for this research in other watersheds worldwide and continuing to collaborate with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Funding source for thinning?
The new study dovetails with the work of the Tahoe Central Sierra Initiative, a science-based effort by private, federal and state partners to restore the resilience of 2.4 million acres of forested wildlands in the Sierra Nevada. As part of that initiative, the U.S.
Harpold notes that another nonprofit initiative, Sacramento-based Blue Forest, already is using the promise of increased water yields from thinned forests to help support bonds that it sells to finance urgent forest-resilience projects.
Along with improved supplies for agriculture and municipal water customers, increased water yields from thinner forests can benefit aquatic and riparian ecosystems and potentially improve the operation of hydropower plants, Harpold and Boardman said in their study.
While the costs of large-scale thinning operations across the Central Sierra are daunting — even if water yields and other environmental benefits produce some revenue — Boardman said targeted forest thinning could be cost-effective. He explained that forest managers could use results such as his to select watersheds with especially dense forests that typically receive high amounts of precipitation (snow and rain).
The soon-to-be-minted Dr. Boardman now is putting the skills he developed as a doctoral student working with Harpold into creation of a new Nevada-based company, Mountain Hydrology LLC, that provides water forecasting and hydrological research.
Elijah Boardman, a doctoral student in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno, sorted through millions of simulations that predict improved water yields after forest thinning.
Adrian Harpold, an associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, is principal investigator of the study recently published in Water Resources Research.
Managing Soil Salinity: What Growers Need to Know
By Andrew Waaswa |
View full article, charts & references here: https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=6972
Lately, I’ve been contacted by several growers regarding the same issue: stunted crops, white crusts on the soil, and irrigation water sitting on the surface. After reviewing their soil test results and visiting two of their fields, it became clear that salt buildup was the underlying issue. If you’re seeing these signs, this guide will help you understand what may be happening and walk you through steps to protect your soil and crops.
Start here: What kind of salt problem do you have?
These problems are common in arid climates and are often mistaken for drought or nutrient deficiencies. However, not all salt-affected soils are the same. Knowing which kind you’re dealing with is the first step.
Saline soils, also known as “white alkali,” contain high levels of soluble salts (calcium and magnesium) that increase the osmotic pressure in the soil water. This makes it difficult for roots to absorb water, even when the soil appears moist. Your plants may look like they’re droughtstressed, wilting, stunted, or showing burned leaf edges even though there’s moisture in the soil. Salts can also interfere with nutrient uptake, making plants appear nutrient-deficient. Salinity usually builds up when salty irrigation water is used and there’s not enough drainage or rainfall to flush the salts out.
Sodic soils, also known as “black alkali” or “slick spots,” are dominated by sodium, which disrupts the natural balance of soil particles. Unlike calcium or magnesium, which help soil particles bind into stable aggregates, sodium causes particles, especially clay, to repel each other. This leads to the breakdown of soil structure, making the soil compacted and sealing the surface. As a result, water infiltration becomes very slow or completely blocked. You may notice crusting on the surface, a slick or greasy feel when wet, and standing water after irrigation. Over time, plant roots struggle to grow through the dense layers, oxygen levels drop, and crops show signs of stunted growth or uneven emergence.
Saline-sodic soils combine both problems of high salt levels and excess sodium. This means your plants are under osmotic stress and struggling to take up water, just like in saline soils, while also dealing with the structural damage caused by sodium, just like in sodic soils. As a grower, you’ll see both leaf burn and wilting, along with poor water infiltration, crusting, and compacted soil that roots can’t easily penetrate. These conditions make it especially difficult to establish crops and can severely limit yields if not managed with both chemical amendments and leaching.
How to know: Field observation and laboratory tests Don’t rely on appearances alone. While salt crusts may be visible, you won’t know the full story without a proper soil test. Here’s what to request when submitting soil samples for laboratory testing:
Electrical Conductivity (EC) – A measure of how much salt is present in soil or water, expressed in deciSiemens per meter (dS/m). Higher EC values indicate higher salt concentrations. Water EC (ECw) is the salinity level of your irrigation water. Higher ECw means more salt is being applied to your fields with each irrigation. While
Soil EC (ECe) is the salinity level in the soil’s root zone, measured from a saturated soil extract. This value helps determine how much salt your crops are exposed to and whether it’s within their tolerance range.
Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) – Indicates the amount of sodium relative to calcium and magnesium in soil water. High SAR levels suggest potential for soil structure breakdown.
Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP) – Reflects the proportion of sodium on the soil’s cation exchange sites. High ESP levels lead to poor soil physical properties, reducing water movement and root growth.
Where are the salts coming from?
You might be adding them without knowing it. Salts can build up from: soil parent material; irrigation water with even modest salinity; heavy use of fertilizers, manures, or composts; poor drainage or a shallow water table; and/or water softeners or nearby roads treated with salt.
Irrigation water is often the most significant source of salt in farm fields. For instance, water with an ECw of 2 dS/m contains about 1.7 tons of dissolved salts per acre-foot. If you apply about 30 inches of this water annually, that adds up to roughly 4.4 tons of salt per acre each year. That’s a major load of salt entering your field annually, and if it isn’t leached out properly, it will keep accumulating in your root zone.
How salts impact your crops
Salts increase the osmotic pressure in the soil solution, making it harder for plants to draw water into their roots. This means your crops can show signs of drought stress, wilting, stunted growth, or scorched leaf margins even when the soil appears moist. High salinity can also delay or prevent seed germination and reduce nutrient uptake. In sodic soils, excessive sodium breaks down soil aggregates, leading to poor structure and limited pore space. This reduces water infiltration and air movement, making it difficult for roots to grow and function properly. As a result, yield losses may occur before any visible symptoms appear.
What can you do about it?
Start with a water test: Always test the quality of your irrigation water. Salty or sodium-rich water will make matters worse. Ideally, irrigation water should have low salt (ECw) and sodium (SAR) levels to avoid contributing to soil salinity or sodicity. Work with your lab or our Extension office to interpret your test results and evaluate if your water is suitable for long-term use. Leach the salts if the problem is salinity: If your soil is saline (but not sodic), you’ll need to leach salts below the root zone by applying extra water. This is called leaching, and it’s most effective when done before planting or at the end of the season. Water is the preferred and most reliable method for leaching because it dissolves salts and moves them downward with infiltration. Note that drip irrigation, while efficient for routine watering, does not effectively leach salts without deliberate heavy water applications designed specifically for leaching.Leaching is most successful when water can soak in and drain
through the soil. If your soil is well-drained, you can apply clean irrigation water using either flood or sprinkler methods. For sandy or loamy soils, ponding 6 to 24 inches of water may be necessary to push salts below the root zone, depending on how much salt you need to remove, informed by your soil test results. On finer-textured soils (like clay), ponding smaller amounts multiple times, such as 2- to 6-inch applications, or using sprinkler irrigation helps reduce water use and improve effectiveness. Always allow time between applications for water to infiltrate. Reclamation won’t work without proper drainage, so be sure to address compacted layers, hardpans, or shallow water tables before leaching. Without drainage, even good water can turn your soil saline or sodic over time.
Fix sodic soils before you leach: If your soil test shows high SAR (>13) or ESP (>15), your soil is sodic and must be treated before leaching will be effective. Begin by applying gypsum (calcium sulfate), which supplies calcium to replace sodium on soil particles. This chemical exchange restores soil structure, improving water movement and root access. The amount of gypsum needed depends on how much sodium you want to displace and how deep the treatment needs to go. For example, to reduce SAR from 14 to 8 in the top 2 feet of soil with a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 10 and a bulk density of 1.4 g/cm³, you’ll need about 2 tons of gypsum per acre. Once gypsum is applied, follow with sufficient clean water to flush the displaced sodium below the root zone. If you skip the leaching, the sodium remains, and gypsum won’t be effective. Also, don’t use gypsum if your soil is saline but not sodic; it will only add more salts to the soil and make things worse.
Choose the right crops and irrigation: If the salt problem won’t go away quickly, work with it. (see website link at top of page for full suggestions.)
Prepare the field before planting: Before you plant, apply enough water to leach salts below the seed zone to give your seedlings a clean start. If your soil drains well, pre-irrigation is one of the best ways to reduce salinity. Use raised beds and space your rows wide enough to prevent salts from concentrating where the seeds are placed. Once the crop is in, irrigate more frequently but with smaller amounts. This helps keep salts diluted in the root zone and prevents them from accumulating near the surface where roots are growing.
Mistakes to watch out for: • Applying gypsum without knowing your soil’s sodium levels • Assuming all white crusts mean the same problem • Ignoring irrigation water quality • Treating saline and sodic soils the same way
In addition to EC, SAR, and ESP, other soil characteristics like texture, type of clay, CEC, organic matter content, calcium carbonate levels, depth to groundwater, and overall soil profile also influence how a field responds to salts and what management steps will be most effective. This information can be found in your local county soil survey, available through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices across Nevada.
Research Service
Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit
GBRRU at SRM
www.ars.usda.gov/pacific west area/reno nv/ great basin rangelands research/
The research unit had an active participation at this year’s Society for Range Management meeting in February in Spokane. Members of the unit gave 8 presentations and 4 posters, as well as participated in many committee meetings and social events. A variety of topics from rangeland restoration to cheatgrass fuels and wildfire management were presented.
Jacob Phillips and Nicole Havrilchak present a poster on rangeland compost additions and soil health.
Wildfire Fuels Management
GBRRU has a long history researching effective and efficient weed control and restoration seeding practices. These practices can significantly reduce cheatgrass associated fuel loads and wildfire risks. Successful seeding efforts following wildfires result in significant improvements to grazing and wildlife resources.
One such long-term collaborative restoration effort between ARS, NDOW, and BLM, the Dunphy Hills Project, continues to be an effective example of sustainable natural resources and a resistant and resilient plant community. This project in 1997 restored a post-burned landscape that still maintains low cheatgrass fuels today. Collaborative projects like these can conserve and enhance natural resources for rural agricultural communities.
lbs/acre Cheatgrass fuel
Employee Highlights
Alina Evans, an undergraduate university employee at GBRRU, won the First Place Undergraduate Oral Paper Presentation Award at the SRM meeting. Her presentation was titled “Fuel treatment effects on native plant species and biodiversity in sagebrush ecosystems.”
Dunphy Hills Project
New SEEDS Project
Seeding Evaluation and Experimental Design Strategies
Understanding more about soil water and nutrient availability promises to increase rehabilitation success in dryland ecosystems. With hundreds of post-fire rehabilitation treatments applied across the West, we established the Seeding Evaluation and Experimental Design Strategies (SEEDS) project in 2023 to study how soils influence rehabilitation outcomes. GBRRU has partnered with the US Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Utah Department of Natural Resources, and Bureau of Land Management to establish post-fire seeding sites to gain insight into rehabilitation success across soil, plant, and environmental gradients, while establishing common protocols to evaluate success.
Meet Sandra Li
I moved from a basement microbiology lab in the Texas Medical Center to Nevada in 2004 to join the Nevada Conservation Corps for a year. I got hooked on the vast open high desert. After that, I was a Research Associate with Great Basin Institute for 3 years. I worked in the Battle Mtn BLM district for 2 years conducting riparian PFC assessments and helping the range and wild horse specialists with monitoring. Those first few years in Nevada gave me the privilege to explore the beautiful treasures that are the Great Basin and the Mojave desert and cemented the love I have for this community. I’ve been with the GBRRU since 2010 as a biological science technician and consider the field work a highlight of the job one of many that comes with executing our mission of research to restore and conserve rangelands with evidence-based solutions.
Outreach and Engagement
GBRRU had a busy fall and winter outreach season. We had the pleasure of attending and having an information booth at both the Nevada and California Cattlemen's Conventions in late November to early December. We also presented at the Orovada Conservation District Producers meeting in February and the Humboldt Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Association annual Weeds Extravaganza in Elko Nevada. GBRRU had an amazing week at the Society for Range Management Trade Show in February. We visited with so many stakeholders and agricultural industry folks and even let them use our booth to visit among themselves!
GBRRU stakeholders Bob Alverts, Duane Combs and Bill Moore take a break from the SRM meeting to sit at the GBRRU trade show booth.
